What is the secret to being a top sales performer? On the surface, it simply comes down to execution. itunes gift card sales performers consistently do the right things more often that their lower performing peers. In many cases, salespeople can do the right things. However, they choose not to do it as consistently as top performers. If salespeople have the talent (e.g., skills and knowledge) to perform as top salespeople, the question that is often raised is, “Why don’t they?”
What makes the critical difference? Ultimately, the answer lies within the salesperson. Top performers view themselves, their customers, their products or services, and their competition differently. Besides having the basic sales knowledge and skills, top performing salespeople tend to share seven traits or personal attributes that greatly contribute to their success. Let’s look at each one.
Top performing salespeople exude a sense of belief in themselves, their company, their products and the actions they recommend to their customers. This sense of belief is often seen by others as self-confidence, sincerity, or genuine conviction.
• Their sense of accountability. They see themselves as the driving factor in their own success and are willing to hold themselves accountable for their own actions.
• High self-esteem. They like who they are and see themselves as constantly evolving towards their ideal image of themselves. This believe in self allows them to overcome obstacles, learn from mistakes and take the risks necessary to change or adapt.
Top performing salespeople realize that they must first sell themselves. They know that what they offer their customers is not a product or service per se, but a genuine belief that the solution they offer will work. This sense of belief goes beyond “faking it.” Believing in their product or service, and company is part of how they view themselves.
Most salespeople are goal-oriented. They set their sales goals for the year, quarter or month, and plan their activities accordingly. However, merely setting goals isn’t enough. Moving enthusiastically from one random target to another doesn’t guarantee success or personal satisfaction.
What top performing salespeople have that makes them unique is a personal sense of purpose. By purpose I mean a relentless pursuit of their personal mission or vision of who they want to be and what they want to achieve. Their purpose allows them to harness the full power of the goal setting process and gives specific meaning and value to every action they take. Their purpose creates a compelling context for developing goals which, in turn, help the top performing salesperson navigate obstacles others find daunting. Their purpose coupled with their goals gives them both the logical and emotional focus needed to direct their activities with “laser like precision.”
Unfortunately, many salespeople approach goal setting as an event, not a process. They figure that setting the goal is an end in and of itself, instead of just the beginning. Their approach is similar to New Year’s resolutions: you make a list of things you should do and then forget about them until the next New Year’s Eve.
Goal setting is the top performing salesperson’s way of asking themselves, “What do I want out of life, and what kind of person will I have to become to get my goals?” They look at the end-result and work their way backwards to where they are. This process helps them decide what areas they need to improve so that their abilities match their dreams and expectations.
Priority Sense Top performing salespeople know that the key to success isn’t just doing things right, but in doing the right things. They know that the more time they spend in front of customers, the greater their chances are of making sales.
