There’s a difference between a good salesperson and one who gets to the top rung. What separates the star performer has little to do with selling technique, product or company status.

Here are the six personality traits of top salespeople:

• When they feel a slow down, they reinvigorate themselves by finding quality leads.
• They’re not afraid to go after challenging accounts that require extensive knowledge, in depth analysis and sensitive handling.
• They plan for the long-term by identifying and carefully cultivating prospects continually.
• They are able to talk about how innovative and far ahead of the competition their products or services are.
• They welcome suggestions and criticism from customers, as well as their own managers.
• They possess an incredible ability to focus all of their attention on customers and instantly identify with what those customers want to accomplish.

And here are five strategies associated with top rung selling:

1. Demonstrate expertise. While thorough knowledge of a product is expected, it alone isn’t enough to achieve selling excellence today. The customer is most comfortable when the salesperson possesses both general business knowledge and competence in the customer’s industry. This is important because it communicates the heart of the sales message. In effect, the salesperson is saying to the customer, “What I am recommending fits in terms of both your business and the competitive environment in which you are operating.” It’s this perspective that makes a huge difference.
2. Anticipate customer needs. By looking carefully at the customer’s company, division or department, a top rung salesperson can identify future needs and develop a plan for initiating appropriate discussions. This is true partnering, not just responding to immediate issues or simply trying to get a sale.
3. Don’t rush the customer. There’s a difference between being perceived as concerned and thorough, and trying to rush the customer into buying. The former ends in making a sale and the latter in making an enemy. The goal is to help the customer come to a buying decision that’s natural, one in which the customer is comfortable. A major mistake is assuming when the customer should buy. Each situation is different.
4. Involve the customer. Top salespeople only prepare proposals after they have a thorough understanding of customer needs. Aside from obtaining accurate information, they want prospects and customers to become part of the team. The sales proposal should confirm the discussions between the buyer and the salesperson. In other words, the salesperson should send a message explaining what the two of them are going to accomplish together.
5. Help the customer succeed. Just selling the right product or service isn’t enough. From the salesperson’s experience working with countless customers and staying current in industry issues, he or she is in a position to offer ideas and suggestions that can benefit a customer’s business — and should do it. Sometimes that means finding information that can help the customer, even if it’s not related to what’s being sold.

Source: Author and sales consultant John Graham

Tags: John Graham, quality leads, top rung selling, top salespeople