| The Number-one Skill a Salesperson Needs | | | | business problems." |
| Consider these two statistics about | | | | 2. They have an aptitude for sales. It's in the DNA. |
| business-to-business sales: | | | | "All of us have a natural aptitude for some jobs and |
| * Four percent of the sales people in the U.S. sell 94 | | | | won't do well in others. In Jim Collins' book, "Good to |
| percent of the goods and services, according to two | | | | Great," one of his bottom lines is to get the right |
| meta studies--one by Harvard University and one | | | | people in the right seat on the bus, in jobs where |
| from the Gallup Organization. | | | | they have natural talent or aptitude," says Asher. |
| * Eighty percent of business-to-business (B2B) | | | | 3. They have the top 10 skills of the super |
| transactions are the result of relationships/consulting | | | | salespeople, which are generally unknown to the |
| type sales, where the buyer has to like, trust, and | | | | average sales person. "Some of these skills are |
| get along with the seller, according to current | | | | counterintuitive. They do not come naturally so they |
| surveys done by "Selling Power" and "Sales and | | | | must be learned," Asher explains. For instance, |
| Marketing Management" magazines. (Twenty percent | | | | someone with a "driver" personality like Asher's is not |
| are commodity sales where price is the driving factor. | | | | a natural-born listener--yet listening is the number one |
| Today, in some industries, nearly all sales are | | | | 1 skill. So it must be learned. |
| commodity-based.) The statistics tell the story: Selling | | | | Another skill is patience coupled with perseverance. |
| yourself is the most important sale in 80 percent of | | | | "Most sales people give a lot of prospects a few |
| the B2B sales. | | | | contacts. Top salespeople pick a few top prospects |
| What is the most important skill of a salesperson? | | | | and give them a lot of contacts. When you get a |
| Listening. It seems contradictory. "How I sell myself if | | | | new B2B prospect, you have to give them on |
| I'm listening?" It's simple. | | | | average 12 touches before they will buy," he says. In |
| * Ask questions. | | | | Asher's sales training experience, when you give a |
| * Listen to the answers. | | | | person with a natural talent for sales the top 10 skills |
| * Respond with comments that show you listened, | | | | of the super salespeople, you will usually see an |
| and ask more questions. | | | | explosive growth in sales by that salesperson. |
| In the end, there will be opportunities to suggest | | | | 4. They are motivated. Asher says motivation |
| your solutions. "When a sales person starts out with | | | | involves the following considerations: |
| a presentation, most of us feel like we're being sold | | | | * Is the person self-motivated? If they test high for |
| to. Most of the country's top salespeople recognize | | | | sales aptitude, they are usually naturally |
| the negative psychology of that," says Asher. | | | | self-motivated. If they do not test high for sales |
| Instead of polishing up the perfect presentation, top | | | | aptitude, they need to be motivated by sales |
| sales people will ask about the prospect's issues, | | | | managers. |
| problems, pain and requirements. After they've | | | | * What type of sales person are they? The two |
| unearthed all that, they offer a solution. "Now the | | | | basic types are "hunters" and "farmers," and if they |
| psychology is switched around. Once a relationship is | | | | are mismatched to the job, their motivation will |
| established, they act more like a trusted, helping | | | | suffer. A hunter likes the thrill of the hunt, the |
| advisor than an 'it's-all-about-me' sales person." | | | | challenge, and will be most motivated by acquiring |
| What is the Profile of a Top Salesperson? | | | | new accounts. A farmer likes to have many accounts |
| If you were to create a profile of a top sales | | | | that he or she can nurture for up-selling and |
| person--that four percent of the sales population that | | | | cross-selling opportunities. If you have a hunter in a |
| accounts for 94 percent of the sales--you would see | | | | hunter job, he or she will be motivated. Put a hunter |
| five factors converging. "It's what I refer to as 'the | | | | in a farmer job and motivation declines. |
| perfect storm for sales,'" says Asher. This profile can | | | | Where is the sales person in his or her life? Are they |
| be most comprehensively determined through use of | | | | single and trying to build wealth, thinking about |
| a thorough online sales assessment, but can briefly | | | | money all the time? Or, are they middle-aged, having |
| be diagnosed with the following list | | | | made a substantial nest egg, and don't need so much |
| The factors are: | | | | money? Motivation will be affected accordingly. |
| 1. They are "knowledge giants." "They know what | | | | 5. They are supported by a process. "Most |
| they're talking about. They have a perfect | | | | top-performing companies have 'best practice' |
| understanding of their product or service. They | | | | branding, marketing, sales and customer service |
| understand their competition and the competitive | | | | processes to support the sales people," says Asher. |
| landscape. They come across to prospects as 'go to' | | | | "You won't see a great sales person working in a |
| people because they really know what they're talking | | | | company with unsatisfactory processes. |
| about, and they can help prospects solve real | | | | |