“Know what your sales style is so you can understand what works and what doesn’t work.”
I believe every sales person, no matter the sales environment or field, can have their own style. Some styles might be more successful for one industry, than they would be in another – but right or wrong, any style can always be improved. What is right for selling cars might not be right for selling flowers. What is right for selling shoes, might not be right for selling hotel rooms. So how do you perfect your style and adapt it for your hotel, city and destination?
A recent Harvard Business Journal article identified seven sales behaviors, of which only four were conducive to successful selling:
- Socializers are one of the worst sales performers because they tend to chit chat too much instead of focusing on closing the sale.
- Storytellers are also be ineffective if they dwell too long on stories about past customers at the expense of focusing on the present customer.
- Focusers stick to their pre-meeting preparation, insisting on covering all the technical aspects of their offerings and miss hearing what their customers need.
- Aggressors can put off some customers with their combative approach.
So what are the best inherent “behaviors” that a sales person can hone in on to be successful? You will need to focus on developing the following 3 skills:
- Consultant – Becoming a good listener and good problem solver.
- Closer – Being able to pull of the final stage of the sale by reading the cues given by the customer that they are ready to sign on the dotted line.
- Expert – Being good at all 7 skills and finding balance! Are you prepared for your meeting? Do you have good customer interaction skills? Are you pleasant and have good rapport? Do you know your sales pitch? Can you tell a short story appropriate to the situation? Do you rise to every challenge?
Self-awareness is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence. If you know your sales style, perfect what you are good at, practice skills you feel your need to work on, and build confidence in yourself you will become successful!
Look in the mirror and decide, “is this the day I become a lion?”
Happy reflecting!
Linda