12 Reasons Top Salespeople Are Successful

They Have a Defined Strategy

Set goals and determine what it takes to reach them.  Then, do it relentlessly.  It sounds like such a simple thing, but few salespeople actually do it.   The best of the best set their own personal goals to achieve the results they want.  Most top performers have goals that far exceed what the company expects them to accomplish.

The days of answering the phone and taking orders are over (if it ever really was a thing).   It takes a strategic plan and the discipline to execute it.

The top-performing salespeople break down the steps it takes to accomplish their personal goals and they discipline themselves to do these things consistently.

Constant Education & Training

The best sales teams are always learning.  This means actively seeking sales training and sales training courses as well as learning about the industries for which they provide service.

Every industry is evolving and changing.  The best salespeople learn about their client’s business needs so they can propose solutions to their customers’ problems.

They Ask Probing Questions

Asking the right questions to uncover pain points can help craft custom solutions.  Top-performing salespeople are not just pushing products; they are taking the time to ask probing questions to get at the heart of the matter and then offering ways to ease the pain.   They know that nobody wants to buy the product or service they are selling.  What they want it to solve their problems or enhance their business. 

They Focus On Benefits, Not Features

There’s an old joke that goes like this:  The optimist will tell you the glass is half full.  The pessimist will tell you the glass is half empty.  The salesperson will tell you about the benefits of ice.

The best salespeople focus on what their product or service can do for the customers.  Apple’s marketing team knew this when they rolled out the iPod.  As a feature, it could hold 1 GB of storage for MP3 files, but that was never going to sell their music storage device.  The benefit is what sold it:  The ability to have 1,000 songs in your pocket.

They Are True Believers

The best salespeople believe strongly in the product or service they are selling.  They know it works and can cite specific evidence of how it worked for others.

They Never Lie

Your reputation is everything.  A lifetime of work can be ruined by one lie or misleading statement.  The top salespeople know they must always tell the truth even if it exposes flaws in the product or service.

They Prepare And Practice

NFL teams practice for six days to play a game that lasts less than four hours.  The best sales teams actively prepare and practice.  This means they embrace sales training, sales training courses, and continuous learning.  They practice what they learn, and they are ready when the bell rings. They prepare ahead of time for objections and craft effective responses.

They Understand The Sales Funnel

Pushing prospects too hard too early in the sales process can drive potential customers away.  The top sellers learn where buyers are in the sales process and adjust their approach.  Knowing whether they are in the Awareness, Interest, Desire, or Action phase (AIDA Sales Funnel) allows them to provide the right information at the right time.

Tailor Their Presentation To The Audience

There’s an adage that says: “It is not what I say.  It is what people hear.”  The top sales teams learn how people make decisions and tailor their presentations to their audience.

Some people make decisions based on facts and figures.  Others make decisions based on emotions.  Others make decisions based on relationships.  Picking the right presentation can make all the difference.

They Don’t Waste Their Customer’s Time (Or Their Own Time)

They know that before people will buy from them, they have to build trust.  That means taking the time to build a relationship.  However, they also know not to waste your prospect’s time or their own time.  The best salespeople balance social niceties with a business purpose for every call, email, or visit.

Sometimes the effort you have to put into selling or servicing a customer outweighs the benefits a salesperson gets.  They know when it’s time to fire a customer. They also understand there comes a time when it is OK to say no.

They Excel At Qualifying Prospects

You might say the top performers are great time managers.  They know that it’s better to make a handful of presentations to qualified decision-makers than knock on hundreds (or thousands) of doors.  The best pre-qualify prospects before committing to making an approach.

They Manage Expectations

Even the best sales can get derailed when the customer has a different idea of what constitutes success than the salesperson.  The best salespeople guide customers to expect optimistic, but realistic results. 

Because they want long-term relationships and repeat business, they know that a product or service only works when it produces the results the customer wants.  If it does not work for the customer, it simply does not matter how cheaply they can buy it.