What it takes…

In this post, I will go over some of the skills necessary to be successful in sales, and some of my advice on pursuing a role in sales. Let’s get started!

A very particular set of skills…

Problem Solving.
Communication.
Humility.
Charisma.
Confidence.

Why these skills?

Problem Solving.

Sales revolves around the process of problem solving. It is all about filling needs and improving quality of life. In a sales role you must be capable of identifying needs and solving for them. You need to be challenge oriented and like overcoming obstacles. People will say no to you. It might be a struggle to identify how your product would help someone. You need the skill of problem solving to function in a role like this.

Communication.

It is not always necessary in sales to be a good talker. That is useful, of course. However, you can be a great communicator in other mediums. Some people are great at public speaking, but not as great at online support. Some people can carry a conversation, but struggle sending professional emails. Sales roles need all kinds of communicators, but they need proficient communicators. Sales relies so heavily on communication that it is impossible to be involved in this field without this skill.

Humility.

Haven’t you heard? The customer is always right. There is a reason this is such a common saying. Sales involves selflessness. It involves removing yourself from the situation and asking what’s best for the other person. It is about fulfilling someone else’s needs. It is about compromise and finding out what will benefit everyone in the situation. Sales requires humility because it requires you to stop thinking about yourself. In order to be successful, the customer must come first.

Charisma.

This is a skill, and while it comes naturally to some people, it is something that you can learn. Charisma is about making other people feel good. You will find that if you spend time listening to people and “seeing” them for who they try to be, that they’ll start to like you and feel good about being around you. It is an important skill in sales because it is easier to gain someone’s trust when you are well liked by them. They will want to talk to you, and if your connection is a sales one, then they’ll want to buy from you too.

Confidence.

You need to have a strong understanding of your value in order to succeed in a sales position. The sales process can be taxing and failure can sometimes start to bring you down. However, you will find that a lot of times, when it comes to sales, “No.” isn’t too bad of an answer. If you are confident enough to keep putting yourself out there you will likely find success in sales with ease.

Some advice…

Sales is about the customer. In a lot of cases, if your focus is on them, you can find a way to make your product of value to them.
Sales is a field full of opportunity. If you are unsure of it do more research. It would be challenging, but it might just give you some invaluable skills and experience.
If you’re curious, try it. If you like a challenge, go for it. What’s the worst that could happen?

Thank you!

Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this post! Let me know what you thought of it in the comments!