8 Skills A Sales Representative Should Have

Skills A Sales Representative Should Have

Common sense tells us that a sales representative sells, and that makes knowing how to sell is one of the most important skills he or she should have. The best thing about selling crafts is that they can be trained. A person can learn and develop those skills through a proper training program.

Since we are on the subject of sales, a proper definition of sales is in order, and here's a good explanation as offered by Wikipedia:

Skills A Sales Representative Should Have

The answer to the question regarding what skills do a sales representative should have, clearly has no specific, straight to the point answer. This article is going to give you a general idea on this subject that you can use to map out your strategy to fulfill those needs. In general, there are 8 skills that a sales representative should have. These are as follows.

Side note: What is a skill?

Skills A Sales Representative Should Have

1. A Sales Representative Knows How to Plan A Sales Call

Preparations or planning for a sales call starts every sales process. There have been many approaches towards planning as we all know it, but the best planning is always the one that you find it workable for you.

For example, a sales rep used to prepare the day, before making sales calls, using a 'To-Do List.' Today, using Google Calendar that has the Event, Reminder, or Goal label, is more practical. It is much easier too because, in a glance, the rep can see what's going on for the whole month, and if it needs to be specific, tap on the "schedule" view shows the entire day schedule.

2. A Sales Rep Opens A Sales Call Effectively

Impact-fully opening a sales call is a skill sales representatives need to develop from the day he or she takes up the job. If representatives can do this effectively, they'll get the customers' attention which available in a minimal supply these days.

3. A Sales Representative Should Have Effective Presentation Skill

Generally, there are 2 things sales representatives want to focus on:

• Communicate the benefits of what they are promoting
• Add more features with more essential benefits.

All these need to be at their fingertips. They can prepare for it - to practice or rehearsing features and benefits or vice versa - before they face a real customer. Making a compelling presentation is another skill a sales representative should have.

4. A Sales Representative Should Be Skillful In Proving Sales Messages

This is the conviction step of the sales process. A good sales representative knows what to use to convince prospects and how to use it. For example, to show that a product really works, he or she uses testimonies and stories from customers who have enjoyed the benefits of using the product. But the evidence does not work all the time. With enough exposure and practice, representatives can pick up clues to what works best in any given situation.

5. A Sales Representative Can Check For Buy-in

This is a skill that allows a sales representative to go straight into asking for a commitment. To be able to reach this stage, they need to know how to read the 'buying signal,' as it is well known for. The signal comes in a different form; verbal or non-verbal. How to identify it takes practice.

6. A Sales Representative Knows How to Handle Sales Objection

It is not an overstatement to say that this is the most focused upon skill. In my humble opinion, I agree that it is an overstatement. Today, there are Selling Models that do not give this particular skill the attention it used to have. Nonetheless, knowing how to handle objection still falls into the skills a sales representative should have.

7. A Sales Representative Has The Skill to Ask For Commitment

What it used to be when 'commitment' is mentioned, is getting the prospect to sign the check. That's not necessarily so in today's complex Buying Cycle because commitment can simply mean moving another step further in the Cycle. Asking the prospect to commit is yet another skill a sales rep has to have when selling.

8. A Sales Rep Should Be Able to Do Follow Up

Some companies are outstanding at follow up. It is a fact that prospects can take up to 7 times of following up before they decided to commit. Following them up to the right way until they reach those commitments takes proper planning and perseverance. Follow up is more critical when we win the prospects over. Winning prospects is just the beginning. Keeping them is what gets the business rolls.

Look For A Sales Rep With These Skills Or Develop The Skills In Rep

You have a clear choice here - you either find a sales rep who can demonstrate these selling skills, or you can develop these skills in your current sales team, and see your sales revenue increase.