"I am the world's worst salesman, therefore, I must make it easy for people to buy." -F.W. Woolworth

The above quote just goes to show that success in sales lies not just on the buyer - or the product that is being sold - but mostly on the attitude of the salesperson. If for example, there are two salesmen. Salesman A has a great product but he does not possess good sales techniques; while salesman B has a product which is not really that marketable but he has enough people skills to make people buy the product that he is marketing. Which one do you think will emerge more successful in the industry?

As you may have heard a million times before, successful selling relies on the techniques used by a salesperson to create a “need” and make people believe that they really need to purchase the product or service which is being sold to them that is why they are left with no other choice but to buy.

Now, in order to learn more about what makes for a successful salesperson, take a look first at the five laws of successful selling”

1. Use a direct approach.
If you call a hotline for a Customer Service department of any company, you would often hear complaints about the customers being given the ‘runaround’. Most people do not want to hear excuses, and they certainly do not want to be bounced around from one department to another just so that their concerns can be aired and their problems resolved. Customers want to hear facts straight out. The same principle can be applied to sales. Using a direct and honest approach in selling is the best way to go, rather than covering up facts which customers will eventually find out about anyway. Thus, if you are selling a product or service which will benefit them – this is the exact point that you need to make, rather than beating around the bush with flowery words, unnecessary information and irrelevant statistics.

2. Know what it is that you exactly want.
Before starting out on a successful career in sales, you need to set your own personal goals. Do you want to keep on selling the same thing for the rest of your life, or do you want something more? Are you just using selling as a stepping stone to advance your career, or do you see yourself making a living out of it. Just like in any other field, setting definite career goals would give direction to your chosen endeavor.

3. Use the power of concentration in your sales pitch.
As your experience in sales increase, you would learn which sales pitch bombed and which ones did the trick for a particular customer. By concentrating on the ones that worked, you can work on your strengths and sharpen your selling skills. Once you have sold a product to a particularly finicky customer, your confidence in your sales pitch would increase.

4. Harness your energies.
Learning the in’s and out’s of sales is not an easy feat. As you start out, you may feel a bit frustrated if all your efforts are not bearing fruit. But remember that as you learn to choose between the sales techniques which worked and those that did not, then you can channel all the negative results that you have had in the past and use them towards a more positive thing – by making sure that you do not commit the same sales blunder twice.

5. Acknowledge inevitable consequences.
You will certainly make mistakes along the way. A seemingly positive client may turn dour once you seemingly say something wrong, or if you do not make the quick follow up that they want. Should you commit mistakes and errors of any kind, do not dwell over them. Instead, learn from the mistake and make sure that the same thing will not happen in the future to ensure that you will have a longer, and mistake-free selling career.

‘Steps towards Becoming a Successful Salesperson’

To become a successful salesperson, first you need to set a specific goal and ask yourself what it is exactly that you are aiming for. If you already have a prospective client, you need to zero in on your target and make certain that you capture enough of their attention. Do not let your focus wander to outside factors which may distract you from achieving your goal. Next, you need to harness all the power that you have to achieve the desired results. This is where successful sales techniques come in. Finally, you can hit the target and close the sale.

To emerge triumphant in the sales industry, you need to learn and value your and other people’s time, energy and money. The basic business ethics and personal courtesy would contribute a lot towards honing your ‘people skills’ so that you can become a better salesperson. Additionally, it is your decision to be or not be powerful in the sales industry. As mentioned previously, your attitude towards your work and the clients that you deal with on a regular basis would count a lot if you want to become a successful salesperson. By presenting a prospective customer with a real, honest and basic need for the product that you are selling, then they will acknowledge that fact and this will lead to a successful sale.

‘Make Success a Part of your Daily Habit’
Now that you know how to zero in on a target, make your sales pitch and close the sale – the next thing that you need to learn is how to make success a part of your daily habit. You need to set short-term, medium-term and long-term goals for yourself. This way, you would have a definite career path and be on your way towards becoming a truly successful salesperson.

As they say, “It’s all in the mind.” Think success and you will reap success. By applying the aforementioned principles, tips and steps towards becoming a successful salesperson, there is no doubt that you will be able to achieve the level that you want to reach when it comes to your professional career as a salesperson.