‘Sales’ is one of the most sought after career options across the globe. However, it is also among the more difficult professions to master. The main reason why people are attracted towards sales as a career is the prospect of earning lots of money. In sales, unlike several other professions, how much you get paid is aligned with the amount of hard work you can do. The more results you produce with your hard work, the more you can earn.
Sales Jobs are one of the few occupations where nothing specific academic qualifications and achievements are required. However, that does not mean that no skills are required to achieve success in a sales career. The skill set of sales professionals is slightly different as it includes aspects that are related to the personality of an individual. Let’s take a closer look at some of the basic skills that are essential to pursue a career in sales.
Excellent Verbal Skills
Being a good speaker is vital in order to become a sales professional. The words you use and the tone of your voice should be able to convince the customer to at least listen to what you want to say.
Good Listening Skills
Sales cannot be one-way traffic where you are the only one who speaks. When you are trying to sell a product, idea or service, it is equally important to ask the customer questions and listen carefully to the answers. This will help you identify the customer’s needs and also give the customer a good impression about you.
Self-Confidence
A sales professional must have the confidence that he or she will be able to strike a deal with a prospective client even if there is initial reluctance. The ability to transform the customer’s ‘no’ into a ‘yes’ defines the strength of a salesperson.
Product Knowledge
One of the more technical aspects of being successful sales professional is good product knowledge. If you are trying to sell a product to the customer, it is essential that you possess basic knowledge about it so that you are in a position to answer any initial questions that customer may have.
Persuasiveness
Persuasiveness is a skill which will allows you to convince the client regarding the benefits of the product, idea or service that you are trying to sell. You should have the ability to help the customers visualize what they can gain if they agree to purchase your product.
Ability to Negotiate
The essence of negotiation lies in achieving a win-win situation for both parties – in this case the customer and the salesperson. For a successful negotiation, you must take into account the customer needs and also assess what best you can offer to meet the requirements.
Self-Motivation
To achieve more and more success in the sales field, it is necessary to sharpen your skills and learn more about the products or services you are selling. But the motivation to do these things has to come from within. Therefore, it is essential to be self-motivated if want to grow as a sales professional.
Building Relationships
A key to being successful in sales is your ability to build and maintain strong relationships with people. This will help you develop a network of contacts which will assist you in your dealings. A good network is a sales professional’s biggest strength.
Target-Oriented
Being target-oriented is helpful not only for achieving sales targets but also in attaining career goals. A goal-driven sales professional will be able to provide employers with realistic and achievable targets.
Good Time Management Skills
Just like other work fields, sales too demands professionals to have good time management skills. Since, a sales professional has to cater to several clients at the same time, it is essential to use the time available effectively.
In addition to these, an outgoing personality and having a passion for sales are some other skills that can assist in quicker growth in this field. There are several opportunities available in the sales field in cities and towns across India. Bangalore is one of the major centers for sales jobs in the country. Sales jobs in Bangalore may vary from sales executive to area sales manager. Since IT is the most widespread industry in Bangalore, there are also openings for sales professionals in several IT firms.
‘Sales’ is surely not a suitable career for everyone, but if you can hit the right notes by acquiring some of the essential skills, it can take your professional life to unimaginable heights. So, if you’re not decided on a career, sales may just be what you were looking for.
