I am often asked what attributes make up a great sales person. Below are the three I find to be most important to achieve long-term sales success.
GOAL SETTING: The first thing to ask yourself is have you set professional and personal goals for yourself? It is important that your goals are written down on paper and follow the S.M.A.R.T. criteria (they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely).
If you have no goals to shoot for, you aren’t motivated and focused to set a plan. In addition, you have no basis by which to measure your overall success. That is why one of the most important characteristics of a successful sales person is to write down both your personal and professional goals in the S.M.A.R.T. format, and create a plan of action to achieve them.
It isn’t enough, however, to just set goals and create a plan of action to achieve them. You will not succeed without the self-discipline and focus to take action immediately!
SELF-DISCIPLINE: Discipline is a commitment to the most important person in the world. It means doing what you have to do, even when you don’t want to do it.
The way to become disciplined is to identify those negative habits that hold you back from achieving your goals, and replacing them with new powerful and effective behaviors. These new practices will soon become strong habits that support the positive achievement of both your professional and personal goals.
When you are successful in doing what you set out to do, don’t forget to give yourself a reward. Any action that is recognized and rewarded will happen again. So suffer the consequences when you don’t do what you planned by denying yourself the reward. You don’t have to plan a complicated reward, something as simple as a cup of coffee or nice meal will be effective.
However, before you can master the behaviors of goal setting and discipline, you must master your attitude. It is of the utmost importance to have a desire to set goals and to be disciplined.
CONTROLLING YOUR ATTITUDE: A solid foundation is key to building anything that will last in life. In order to become a success at life, not to mention to become a successful sales professional, you must build the foundation of a positive attitude.
Attitude is the “advance person” of our true selves. Its roots are inward and based on past experiences, but its fruit is outward. It is our best friend or our worst enemy. It is more honest and more consistent than our words. It is the thing that either draws people to us or repels them. To be a successful salesperson, you need to know who is in control of your attitude.
The positive achievement of your personal goals, the success of your team, organization and your sales results all hinge on the attitude you have toward yourself. If you are able to take charge of your attitude and develop a demeanor filled with self worth, respect and self confidence, your success will become guaranteed.
The ability to master a positive attitude, self-discipline and effective goals are the three core components to becoming successful in the sales profession – or at anything else in life! When you become adept at these critical characteristics, you will become successful at anything you set your mind to!
Bob Urichuck is a Sales Skills speaker whose passion and energy, along with his advance learning techniques, allows him to achieve quick results with his audience. He is one of the many talented Sales Skills Speakers you will find on MotivationalSpeakersWorldwide.com.