October 1st is Seller’s Day in Brazil. One of mankind’s oldest professions, it’s celebrated since 1957 in the country, and is a key element to foster continuity for the different business models.

During the pandemic, many professionals had to reinvent themselves and replace face-to-face meetings with digital alternatives, in order to keep on selling. Many have succeeded in their intent, as proven by a study from the Brazilian Society of Retail and Consumer Affairs (SBVC), which recorded 61% increase in on-line purchases throughout 2020.

In this article, we’ve highlighted the key skills for the sales professional of the future – which includes also how to know well your competitors and making decisions faster.

Keep on reading!

7 skills every salesperson should master

To help sellers improve their knowledge and stand out in such a broad and competitive market, we’ve selected the top skills every seller needs, based on Gartner’s Skills every salesperson should master 2019 study.

1. Show experience in the subject

Sellers must have a deep understanding of their products or services, in addition to their industry, so they can identify what their customers need in an easier way.

Besides gaining more agility to close deals, the seller will increase his/her chances of establishing a trusting relationship at sale time.

2. Understand what the customer wants

Knowing the buyer customer isn’t enough to close a successful negotiation. The seller must also perceive what the other party is looking for, which usually goes well beyond the purchase act.

Nowadays, the experience of the whole process weighs heavily when defining partners. Therefore, clearly understanding what your customers need is the first step to really help them.

3. Customize your interactions

Forget generic messages or ready-made sales pitches. As it occurs in B2C, B2B customers are looking for personalized service more and more.

To customize interactions, the salesperson must know the buyer customer’s industry and show ample knowledge of trends, events, market launches, etc.

4. Help prospects

One big mistake of salespersons is to consider that closing deals as the key goal of their profession. In most situations, customers want also help with a given problem.

For such purpose, any salesperson must keep in mind that, when interacting with a prospect, he will first make sure that his problem will be solved and then close the deal.

5. Use technology to increase your productivity

By 2025, Gartner expects that 80% of buying and selling interactions between B2B suppliers and buyers will occur through digital channels.

Besides shortening the average sales cycle, having technology as an ally of salespersons during negotiation processes will allow them to gain more time to sell even more.

6. Manage your pipeline like a portfolio

Top sellers track the performance of each opportunity on a daily basis, and are able to conduct a “bottom-up” analysis of their pipeline anytime.

In this way, they can know which business opportunities deserve a proper concentration of efforts, which ones are really promising and which ones will certainly fail.

7. Be always present on social media

Being present on social media, such as LinkedIn, and being an active user can help bring the salesperson closer to prospects.

Take advantage of your professional profile to interact with your target audience; for such purpose, share your experiences, invite them to a chat and keep your network of contacts always active.

 

We saw above some of the key competencies that can turn good salespersons into very valued professionals in the market.

Do you agree with all the skills listed in this article? Share your opinion with us.

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