If I Were New In Sales Right Now

Through our Advanced Selling Podcast and our blog, we get questions from rookie sales people–the 22-32 year-old types. “What advice would you give to a new sales person?”

So here it goes. (By the way, you ‘seasoned vets’–listen up. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for you).

1. Take inventory of your sales strengths. You do things well. You do things not-so-well. Take an honest inventory of where your strengths are and leverage them. You will get managers who want you to do things that you’re not good at. Be ware of getting dropped into a steady of diet of ‘what you’re not good at.’ You’ll wake up at 55 doing what you hate, and forgetting what you’re good at.
2. Get good at problem-finding. Put everything you do in terms of problem-finding. Take a class. Read a book. Stop reading books on selling and convincing. Start reading books on ‘problem solving.’
3. Start a blog. Yes, I know that your manager wants you to spend more time selling. But you know how the world works. No one can tell a 25-year old about social media. So instead of dropping it at the request of your manager, keep doing what you know works. A blog will help you get your mind right — and the words right about your value. Plus, you get to be a publisher now.
4. Learn Financial Analysis. Your customers care about money and economics. You should, too. Go talk to your CFO or company accountant and learn how the pros do financial analysis. Your customers are doing it on your solution–so it’s better for you to lead, not follow.
5. Learn Story Telling. Go back to past clients and get their stories of how your value helped them. Then, commit these stories to memory. Do like the comic does–he has a file of all the jokes he’s thought about or heard–and he draws from them. Open up the file.

There more than five–and there are many that are more obvious–dress appropriately–shake hands firmly, do impeccable followup etc.

Also, go to www.2009salescompetencies.com for a complete ebook on the competencies and trends that are facing US sales professionals.

Related posts:

1. Free Sales Management Training
2. Check Out Your Selling Language. Is it Empowering You?
3. Lead Generation Seminars–What Works-What Doesn't?
4. What Happened Since I Turned Off The TV?
5. Don Hewitt. “Tell Me A Story.”