Salespeople should be experts in what they sell and selling.
As salespeople, we should be problem solvers and valued partners. We must bring value to the table, and to do that, we must be experts in what we sell and how to sell it.
What is an expert salesperson?
An expert salesperson sells professionally and with integrity. Being an expert and selling like one leads to more and bigger sales than resorting to the tricks and gimmicks that perpetuate the “ugh; salespeople” attitude that is so pervasive with buyers.
What actually makes someone an “expert” though?
According to the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University Law School, an expert witness:
is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education
…
Full disclosure: I work for the Better Business Bureau. Any views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
I consider myself a perpetual student. I’m always reading sales books and materials, listening to webinars, attending seminars, and generally trying to stay ahead of the game. Recently I had the misfortune of stumbling on some information that does a great disservices to us as salespeople: It gives us too many ways to take no for an answer.
In her book “Nonstop Sales Boom” author Colleen Francis lists her eight behavioral clues that supposedly demonstrate buyers who aren’t going to bite. This author is entitled to their opinion, and just because I happen to disagree does not make them wrong. I understand where they’re coming from, and I respect their position. I can even see some of the logic in some of their positions. Productivity, as a salesperson, should always be fiercely protected…
