Salesman...a job for anyone?

A known saying claims that no one is born as a salesman, however it seems that some qualities are more desirable than others. It is true that a person who is naturally charismatic, hard-charging and self-confident will find it easy, however the salesman job, as any other, bases on features that are taught and also on experience.

Therefore do a shy person have a chance to be a good salesperson? Of course, however the condition is to push one's limits and getting used to contact with another person, as well as situations in which a person feels less confident. Involvement and a desire to grow are crucial here. One should also remember that people who are less hard-charging are often great listeners who also know how to create an atmosphere of trust. This allows them to make connections with customers and achieve good results.

So how to answer the question whether working in sales is for everyone? It is often impossible to determine who will be effective and who will not. However, someone who wants to be good in this area, should distinguish himself with involvement in work and willing to grow. It should be remembered that being a good salesperson is not a matter of a flair but certain habits and, of course, knowledge. One can drill anything. Therefore anyone who has the right motivation and willing to learn, can become a salesperson.

Charisma or methodology?

Who is a good salesperson? What qualities should he excel? We already know that you don't have to be born a salesmen. It's a matter of training, constant growing and learning and, most importantly, willing to work. When wondering what qualities should a good salesperson have we can look at this issue from two sides. The first side is the customer's perspective -

what does he expect from the salesperson?

• An excellent knowledge about the company and the product,
• High level of communication skills,
• Ability to solve problems,
• ability to recognize and satisfy customer's needs, accuracy,
• the possibility to deliver the product fast.

However, managers have a slightly different approach to this matter. According to them, success factors in sales are:

• the ability to listen,
• the ability to follow customer's issues out,
• the ability to match the sale style to the situation,
• persistance, accomplishing the tasks,
• organisation skills,
• verbal communication skills,
• the ability to establish a contact with people from different levels in the company,
• the ability to plan and good time management.

Most of the features mentioned above include good substantive preparation to the role of a salesperson or skills which can be trained and obtained with experience. Are these more important than charisma? From the customer's perspective, for sure knowledge about the product and the company as well as the ability to advice in a certain situation are more important. Charisma is very helpful here - a self-confident salesperson will find it easier to establish a contact with unknown person and persuade him/her to buy given product. However, the most important is knowledge and proper preparation for the job

First steps

Salesperson is a job which requires a certain knowledge and skills. In order to become one, you can follow a course - here a good idea is online learning and trainings available on educational platform.

When learning, whether it is on one's pat or during online learning, it's important to pay attention to:

• buying process from the customer's side and the salesperson's side,
• personage, that is establishing the target group, determine the features of a person who could be the customer of the given product,
• getting new customers,
• unique market value - the belief that a product or a service has a very high quality, in other words a belief in the product we are selling,
• sales conversations, contact with the customer,
• veryfing customer's needs,
• overcoming customer's objections,
• closing the sales,
• building a relationship with the customer.

First steps in the salesperson job you can take directly at your workplace. Experience gained in practice is extremely valued. However, one should remember that the beginnings can be stressful, especially for people who have less confidence. Salesperson job is a great way to overcome one's own weaknesses and developing skills of creating relationships with people

Trainings, trainings, trainings

Career in sales, as every other area, is a chance for constant growth. In order to achieve a success in this job and to not be bored, one should place importance on widening of knowledge and competences - not only on working hours. Perfect way to grow is participating in courses that teach new sales techniques, innovative tools, market trends, product, services or ways to get customers. Such courses can be found at a training platform. You don't have to leave home to learn. You can fit learning hours to professional activity and turn on the course on an online platform when the timing is the best. Right now it is the most comfortable way of learning, which has a lot of advantages.

My first customer

The key to find and keep a customer is professionalism. Every customer likes to feel special and to know that he is important for the company. Therefore it is important to take care of it or to make such impression. Individual approach to a customer and ensuring him that his needs and expectations are important will keep this person in the company for a long time. To get customer's attention, it's worth to contact him often and directly.

Cross-selling is a very interesting technique. It is about offer another, matching product to the one already purchased. Customer should think that he will need a given thing. For example, the main product are shoes and the complementary one - spray or shoe polish. It is a good method to get the customer, increasing sales and to make a one-time customer a permanent one.

What's important, in every situation, the sales person should be oriented on customer's needs, using positive articulation, be optimistic and, most importantly, cooperate with the customer. A person who feels his expectations are heard, will come back willingly, and also will bring more customers as a form of word-of-mouth marketing - in other words, recommending to friends.

Although it may seem that one needs to be born a good salesperson, it is not true. Features crucial for this job are possible to learn - even a shy person will be good in this role, given he/she is commited and motivated. It's worth it to always traing and evolve in order to become a better and more effective salesperson.