Think of the best sales professional that you have ever seen.  Think of what they do sets them apart.  Some are personal attributes (See BSJ 7/5 -Customer Facing Attributes You Can’t Be Without), some are preparations, and some differences are skills.  Skills are attainable, and can improve with practice, preparation, and a desire to be the best. Let’s touch on the most prominent of those skills in this post.  Yes, the best sales professionals have to be intentional about improving skills and skill sets, as these are the ones that what will make them better sales professionals.

Tools That Change Careers!

Skills are the tools that you need to become as complete as possible.  You can have some of these without having the proficiency to make them count, so acquiring the skills and improving on those that you have are both important acts. Here is the skills roster:

• Interviewing Skills
• Responsiveness
• Communications
• Networking Skills
• Relationship Development/Building Skills (Deep Enduring Relationships)

Superior Interviewing skills – Interviewing skills are important to get the job, and you need to get the job before you can be successful at it.  Master interviewers use a combination of telephone interviews and in person sessions to get comfortable with a candidate.  You want them to get comfortable, and so I suggest the following articles to help you:

Black Sales Journal 1/5/11 Mastering the Telephone Interview Black Sales Journal 9/12/12 An Interviewing

Essential – Communicate Why You are Successful Black Sales Journal 7/7/11 Want to Stand Out in An Interview – You Already Do!

Getting them comfortable includes sharing all positive aspects of ‘you’.  These posts will help, but the most important thing will be how you behave during the interview, so practice, practice, practice.

Responsiveness – Yes, it is a skill! – If you are sales professional responsiveness needs to be your tagline.  It is that part of your ‘tool chest’ which will separate you from your customer’s previous sales professional, and potentially from any in the future. Read these post for deep explanations:

Black Sales Journal 6/16/2011 – Responsiveness – The Objective of the Sales Professional

Black Sales Journal 1/16/2012 – What is the Content of Your Sales Character?

The Black Sales professional has to be most responsive to get the preference that comes with a solid, rewarding relationship.  Never allow your relationship to suffer the chasms that happens in many relationships, which gives opportunities for others to interlope.  Respond with alacrity to customer requests and get the answers they need.  Don’t hide behind your voice mail because your customer needs you.  Change processes and habits to meet the needs of the customer, it will give you the edge for life.

Efficient Communications and Listening Skills – Your ability to communicate is crucial to your success.  This is an area that many take for granted and do not ‘practice’ on to the degree that they may need to.  You will not know what your customer needs if you do not have superior probing and communications skills, including listening skills to get out the key information that you need.

Black Sales Journal 11/7/2011 -  Uh! Umm! Make Communications a Strength Black Sales Journal 11/17/2011 – Are You Listening to Your Customers?

Black Sales Journal 3/12/2012 – Are You Asking Your Customers for Feedback?

These items will help you as your skills in this area, yet I will also suggest role-play, videotape, and even the occasional mirror to help you hone your skills.  You cannot avoid being a good communicator if you want to increase your chances of success.

Networking Skills That Fill Your Sales Funnel – You might believe that not everyone can network, but I guarantee you it is a skill that can be learned and even mastered.  Networking is much like speed dating, you get in and out, and get the requisite information to allow a much more impactful meeting at another time.  You are selective, and at the same time ‘throwing a wide net’ in hopes of finding potential customers.

Read these to learn more:

Black Sales Journal 2/21/2011 – Networking for the Black Sales Professional

Black Sales Journal 10/10/2011 – Entrepreneurs – 6 Areas to Focus On

Black Sales Journal 12/19/2011 – 2012 Has Started Already- Three Ways to Increase Your Prospect Base

The ability to network effectively is important for b2b and b2p, and is a skill that is well defined.  In practice working a room is one thing, but in truth it is an art.  The utilization of an effective ‘elevator pitch’ (Black Sales Journal 8/11/2011 – Know Your Elevator Pitch) and efficient and organized notes on who you engaged and talked to are important.  Good networkers are almost always leading the pack on prospect origination.

Effective Relationship Development and Management – You have heard me say on numerous opportunities that the relationship, in most product and service sales, is everything.  The customer is your ‘reason for being’ and you need to make sure that developing deep, enduring relationships is your goal.  It is a skill, and an art that takes times and an understanding of the process.

Read these for more information:

Black Sales Journal 6/18/12 – The Raw Truth About Your Business Relationships

Black Sales Journal 6/24/12 – Why Can’t Johnny Sell?

Black Sales Journal 1/13/11 – Deepening Your Customer Relationships – The Holy Grail for the Black Sales Professional.

No one item will help you more than to have the type of relationships that are built on mutual trust, credibility, and value.  Be astute as to the your customer’s needs and what you might be able to do to add value.  Master the relationship!

Here is a start, and I will continue next post with more skills that change the game.

Take time to master them. Read Thursday for Must Have Sales Skills Part II!

Your comments are welcome.