Salespeople need expert-level sales skills to reach their full potential. But how do you know what to improve?
Most salespeople didn’t go to school to learn sales. Even if you have a sales-related degree in business, marketing, or communications, it’s unlikely you took any courses that taught you how to be a salesperson.
Many sales professionals simply had a natural attraction to the idea of a sales career. They tried it out, liked it, and gradually learned the ropes from a combination of personal experience, sales training by their employer, and advice from sales veterans.
Often, a person starts their own business and quickly finds that they are their company’s one-and-only salesperson. Many entrepreneurs didn’t plan on being a salesperson at all—but now spend most of their day selling!
Thankfully, a successful sales career doesn’t require a doctorate in sales. Lots of people have made lots of money using individual, self-taught approaches to selling—even if that means they’re winging it sometimes. We figure out what works for us, and we get the job done.
It Works For You… But Is It Really Working?
The bad news is that winging it leaves you with gaps in your sales knowledge. When you haven’t developed a full arsenal of sales techniques, you’re guaranteed to hit a wall. Even worse, salespeople and business owners who lack deep sales expertise often don’t even realize they’ve hit a wall!
The problem is that we tend to rely on “what works” (and what we like to do) in our sales process while neglecting other parts of the sales cycle. Unfortunately, what works for you isn’t always what works for your client! Your sales skills might be great for most situations, but what about the other deals that never get closed because you didn’t know how?
You can play an entire round of golf with a putter. If you love putting, it will feel like a natural way to play the game. If you’re really good at putting, you’ll have no problem getting the ball in the hole… eventually!
Of course, if you only use a putter, your golf score will never come close to a player who masters all the clubs. A champion golfer selects the right wood, iron, pitching wedge, or putter for each shot, and knows how to use it skillfully. A champion salesperson needs to know the right sales technique for every situation and how to use it to close the deal.
What Sales Skills Do You Need?
Even if you know your sales skills need work, it’s hard to know where to focus your energy. This is why so many sales professionals and business owners hire a one-on-one sales coach. An experienced sales coach acts as an objective outsider, helping you analyze your technique to find weak spots.
Every business follows a sales process, which can be broken into the seven steps of the sales cycle:
- Lead Generation
- Initial Contact
- Needs Analysis
- Presentation & Proposal
- Negotiation & Handling Objections
- Closing
- Follow-up
Your ability to move clients through each step of this process is an excellent indicator of what needs work:
Setting a lot of appointments but have a low closing ratio?
You might be selling on price, chasing unqualified leads, or not asking for the business.
Sales Proposals going nowhere?
You might need new strategies for needs analysis or handling objections.
A sales coach will take you through the steps of the sales process, asking specific questions to determine how efficient and effective you are in each area. If an area needs improvement, your sales coach will highlight the skills that need to be learned and develop a strategy to implement them in your business. This strategy should include measurable, trackable goals to keep you accountable.
Get Real Results For Your Business
Whether you’re making $100,000 or $500,000 a year, there are always areas you can improve in your sales process. Skillway Sales Coaches are seasoned salespeople with access to a deep library of sales techniques and proven strategies for improving your sales expertise.
These topics include strategies for every step of your sales cycle, as well as subjects like using LinkedIn effectively, getting more referrals, or how to sell at events—marketing and communication skills that can supercharge your business.
Do you want fresh ideas, methods that work, and new strategies for pushing past plateaus? A Skillway Sales Coach is the key to unlocking your sales potential. With regular one-on-one coaching sessions and a framework for accountability, your coach will help you CRUSH your sales goals and love what you do!
Getting started is easy. Schedule a FREE jump-start coaching session today! Just have a quick question? Contact us now—we’d love to learn about your business and answer any questions you have.
