Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

It’s Only Common Sense: 10 Ways to Become Better Than Ever at Sales

Someone asked me again the other day what it takes to be a great salesperson and, once again, I gave them a litany of my old standbys. But after thinking about it, I realized I should’ve dug a little deeper. My answers were trite, old, used, and tired. It was time for a new list.

I opened a blank screen and typed a title at the top: The Best Way to Become a Great Salesperson. Now what do I say? The cursor blinked. I stared at the screen. Then, I began thinking about the most important characteristics of a salesperson. I went back through some of my previous columns about sales and salespeople. What tips and tools could I share that would feel fresh and new? How could I give the very best advice for becoming the greatest salesperson in the industry?

Finally, I created a list. I have to admit, some of the items on my list are ones you’ve read before, while others are new and insightful (if I do say so myself). But after reading through them again, the important thing is that, holistically, they make up a pretty solid list. Check it out and see if you agree.

1. Embrace your remarkability. This is a new one and my favorite. Being average is not an option. Embrace what makes you unique. What makes you stand out in a crowded field (and it is a crowded field)? Focus on your strengths. Highlight what you do best, and what your company does best as well. Determine your unique selling proposition and highlight that.
2. Master the art of storytelling. In the end, that’s what it is all about. Great stories told by great storytellers get attention and they get remembered. Use stories to illustrate how your products and services solve your customers’ problems. This will not only connect you with your audience in a business sense, but emotionally as well.
3. Understand your customers’ needs. Know what your customers want and need. You must understand their products and their markets, realize their pain points, and how you can soothe those pains with your solution. This can be hard work and a lot of research, but it’s certainly worth it in the end.
4. Focus on building relationships. Business is always people to people. Focus on fostering long-term relationships. Invest the time and effort in building genuine connections with your customers. Be authentic, genuine, reliable, and empathetic. You must become their trusted advisor in a way that earns loyalty and secures a long-term productive relationship. Create a win/win relationship.
5. Provide value before the sale. I love this idea. It will mean researching and knowing all about the customer, but done right, you will come to the customer meeting armed with solutions you know they need. You will be able to offer timely and relevant resources and solutions. You will become a true resource to that customer.
6. Leverage the power of referrals. Delight your existing customers and they will pay you back by telling others about you. The better vendor you are, the smarter the customer looks, and the more willing they will be to tell others about you and your company. The best advertising in the world comes from a satisfied customer.
7. Work on your craft. Sales must be taken seriously and worked on continuously. Read, study, attend seminars, watch YouTube videos—do whatever it takes to become great at what you do. You must always be growing to become the best. Look at some of the greats—Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Bob Dylan—they were never happy with what they had accomplished; they were always trying to get and be better. What Bob Dylan is to music you are to sales. This is your thing, your craft; always be working on it.
8. Embrace change. Yes, please do. Don’t be terrified of it. Change is good. Even a crisis is a good thing, never to be wasted (to parrot Winston Churchill). Look at change as an opportunity to be taken advantage of.
9. Be resilient. Don’t just roll with the punches but use them as an impetus to make improvements. Learn from your mistakes and disappointments. You’re in sales, so face it: You’ll get rejected. Learn from those rejections and do better next time, in keeping with Bob Dylan's wisdom, "Don't think twice, it's alright."
10. What is measured gets improved. Give yourself checkups. Study your numbers. In a way, you are lucky to be in a field that has empirical data. You make the sale, or you don’t. You win 10 new customers, or you don’t. You make your forecast, or you don’t. Use these measurements as milestones and guideposts to improve. Measuring helps you understand where you are and what needs to be done to get to where you want to go.

Finally, put your heart in it. Always be present and intentional in everything. In the end, you will succeed.

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group.