Important Qualities In A Good Sales Professional

By Author: Nada Bifani
Total Articles: 8
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In today’s cut throat corporate environment both in the domestic as well as the global markets, meeting sales targets is becoming a challenge for most businesses. Keeping abreast of consumer sentiment, awareness about the competition and having excellent communication skills are just some of the qualities required in a good sales professional.

As a sales’ professional you must have an inherent willingness to communicate with fellow human beings. You must be able to open up and have a pleasant conversation with your customers. It is especially important in the retail industry to demonstrate patience and a genuine interest in all customers, even the ones with difficult temperament.

A thorough knowledge of the product or service you are selling is important so that a customer is not put off with your inability to satisfy his/her curiosity about the product/service. A salesperson will not be able to present or sell a product or service without first understanding its various aspects. Consumers today are quite knowledgeable and demanding so it is vital that as a sales’ professional you can satisfy their queries ...
... in a polite and cordial manner.

It is important to be able to relate well with customers. You must develop a knack for sensing the mood of a customer and anticipate the objections or queries of a client. This quality is especially important in sales management because it affects a business hugely. At the level of a manager, the larger picture is to be taken into consideration such as profit and loss and brand image.

Do not be in a hurry to close a sale. Patience and perseverance pay in sales. Have the confidence to resolve all client issues and always end an interaction on a positive note. Your enthusiasm and positive attitude will often remain with a customer/client even if there was no conclusion to the sale on the given day. Customers often compare products and services from more than one place before arriving at a decision. The good impression you leave on them can result in their coming back to close the deal.

Try to be as honest as possible in your dealings because it indeed pays. If a particular customer query is tricky it is better to confess that you do not know the answer straight away but you can get back to the customer after finding out more. There is no point in guesswork or lying because it reflects poorly on the company’s image apart from making you look bad. Your aim is not just to make that one sale but to develop repeat business and generate goodwill.

Be attentive and try to make every client feel special. Your body language is critical in conveying kindness and responsiveness. Make the right amount of eye contact, keep a friendly expression, smile correctly, maintain the right posture and control the tone of your voice. Your body language and grooming convey the right first impression even before a customer studies a product or service in detail.

A professional training program can provide you with customized sales training as described here including putting you through sales skills assessment about which you can read more here. It is a wise choice to take up sales training courses such as sales manager training, professional sales courses, sales coaching, sales certification and sales management certification, designed to shape your growth as successful sales professional.

The writer of this article is associated with WIN Sales and Marketing, the reputed online all-in-one provider of specialized Sales and Marketing Training Programs and Solutions. WIN Sales and Marketing programs and solutions deliver effective professional sales training with internationally accredited courses.