Useful to students

1. Selling skills

2. • Selling skills are the “muscles” that give strength
and flexibility to sales professionals.
• Every sales person has a different approach when
making a sales call. Individual approaches are
important; they’re what help you relate to a
customer on a human level. However, studies
show there are certain selling skills that are
common among all sales reps, otherwise known as
the seven essential selling skills every sales person
should know.

3. 1. Communication Skills
• If you’re a sales person, this skill might seem
self-evident, but too many sales reps don’t take
the time to develop their communication skills,
choosing instead to rely on a script to get them
through conversation. While a script can be a
useful part of the sales call, the ability to veer
off script and communicate with the customer
effectively is imperative. Every customer is
different; the same script won’t work on
everyone and there are times when you may
need to bring out your communication skills to
close a deal.

4. 2. Active Listening Skills
• An important part of effective communication is active
listening. That means allowing the customer to express
their needs and concerns and then taking steps to address
those concerns in your own response.
• Strong listening skills are imperative for a successful
selling approach. Salespeople often aim to listen to their
prospects and work to understand the prospect's
requirements and problems. This can work by asking
relevant questions and responding in a way that shows
you understand what the prospect is saying.

5. 3. Persuasive Skills
• In order to truly excel in this industry, you need to have
great persuasive selling skills. Customers are bombarded
with advertisements and pitches on a regular basis; you
need to know how to convince them that your product or
service is worthy of investment. Being good at persuasion
can mean a variety of things, including being able to turn
negatives into positives and being sincere about what
you’re selling.

6. 4. Collaboration Skills
• Sales associates often collaborate with prospects to reach
a common solution that can alleviate the prospect's issue
or need. Many prospects want to take part in the solution
of their issue, and working collaboratively with buyers
allows them to feel as if they have a say in the situation
and final decision. Rather than overwhelming a prospect
with ideas and opinions, it's important to allow them to
take part in the decision-making process and ensure they
feel valued.

7. 5. Self-Motivating Skills
• This last strategy involves more than just the sales team—
it also involves management. All too frequently, there can
be a disconnect between upper management and sales
reps, with management not fully appreciating the
struggles that sales reps are encountering on a day-to-day
basis. If you seriously want to challenge your sales team,
you may need to solicit feedback on what they believe is
preventing them from doing their best work. Their
answers may surprise you, while also giving you a real
opportunity to make innovating and advantageous
changes.

8. 6. Problem Solving Skills
• A sales person will encounter hundreds, if not thousands,
of objections during the course of their career. There will
be the routine objections that you become used to,
alongside more unique reasons why customers are not
willing to invest.
• While you’ll never be able to completely eliminate
objection, there are ways to minimize the amount of
rejection you face throughout the day. Problem solving
skills are selling skills when it comes to learning to meet
apprehension head on and find creative solutions.

9. 7. Negotiation Skills
• With an increasing amount of competitors vying for
customer attention, negotiation has become an expected
part of sales. Customers anticipate that they will be able to
negotiate with their sales person, which means that sales
reps need to come to the negotiation table ready to
negotiate.
• Great negotiation skills don’t entail conceding
unnecessarily; the skilled negotiator knows how to find
solutions that work for both parties, resulting in a win-win
scenario that keeps everyone satisfied.

10. 8. Prospect education skills
• A key selling skill needed by salespeople is the ability to
successfully educate people about what a product or service
can offer them. This often involves introducing new
perspectives and ideas to potential customers to change how
the prospect thinks about a good or service. Being able to
educate customers can offer them value they can't find
elsewhere and build trust and rapport.
9. Return-on-investment demonstration skills
• Another selling skill is the ability to show the buyers the
return on investment they might experience if they purchase a
service or product. This is especially true when the product or
service is expensive and takes time to yield results. A great
way to support the demonstration of return on investment is to
connect prospects with current customers who have already
achieved the desired results.

11. 10. Understanding the purchasing process skills
• Sales associates must fully understand the purchasing
process to explain this process to prospects accurately.
Prospects who are knowledgeable about the purchasing
process are more likely to feel confident when deciding
whether to make a purchase. Additionally, understanding
the purchase process allows sales representatives and
other sales employees to be aware of what buying stage a
prospect is in and take the appropriate measures to help
that prospect move to the next stage successfully.

12. 11. Interpersonal skills
• Customers are much more likely to buy products and
services from companies they like. And, because the
component of a company a customer is most likely to
come into contact with is a sales individual, these
employees need strong interpersonal skills to build and
maintain relationships with customers.
12. Persuasion skills
• Persuasion is an essential skill that nearly every sales
individual needs to be successful in their position. Good
persuasion skills allow sales employees to convince
customers why the product or service they're selling is
worth a financial investment.

13. • Components of persuasion skills include assessing the
needs of the customer, being as helpful as possible,
personalized messaging and focusing on the end goal of
solving the customer's problem. To be persuasive,
salespeople also can learn all the features and benefits of
their products and services. That way, they can provide
reasons why their product is better than competitors.
13. Questioning skills
• Effective questioning skills allow selling associates to
assess a customer's needs accurately. Rather than simply
giving the prospect a bunch of information that may or
may not be useful to them, taking time to ask questions
ensures you provide customers with information that is
relevant to their issue or need.

14. • The best types of questions to ask during the purchasing
process are qualifying questions, which allow salespeople
to identify what a customer is looking for and customize
their approach based on that information.
14.Time management skills
• Salespeople spend much of their time making calls and
meeting or speaking with clients. Time management skills
are essential to ensure productivity and increase overall
sales. Examples of time management skills that sales
representatives benefit from include scheduling, goal
setting, decision-making, prioritization and strategic
thinking.

15. 15. Prospecting skills
• Prospecting skills are skills that allow sales associates to
better identify qualified prospects. These skills help
prevent wasted time on potential buyers who truly aren't
interested in the product or service they're offering and
allow for more time spent on prospects who are likely to
convert to customers. Good prospecting skills for sales
employees include consistency, strong copy and scripts,
relationship nurturing and listening skills.
16. Social selling skills
• Social media is a major way in which many consumers
find and purchase products and services. Being educated
on how to use various strategies for social media can give
sales individuals an advantage regarding prospecting and
conversion

16. • Social selling is an essential tool for modern salespeople ,
as it allows them to build meaningful relationships with
prospects and customers, establish their brand and
reputation and ultimately drive more sales.
17. Storytelling skills
• Good storytelling skills allow sales individuals to be more
compelling and engaging when speaking with customers.
It also helps sales reps seem more authentic, which can
work to increase trust and confidence in potential
customers. Examples of good storytelling skills to
cultivate include observation, brevity, humor, empathy
and market intelligence.

17. 18. Business acumen skills
• Business acumen is an essential skill for sales individuals
who sell directly to business owners. Strong business
acumen allows you to better understand a potential
customer's challenges and goals so you can establish how
your product or service can help them overcome those
challenges and reach their goals. This skill entails being
knowledgeable on how an industry affects potential
customers and their business. Ways to cultivate business
acumen include researching the industry your customers
are in, asking effective questions related to their issues
and concerns and listening to what potential customers are
saying about a particular problem.

18. 19. Organization skills
• Possessing strong organizational skills can help you sort,
track and manage your correspondence with clients. This
can help you consider each customer's unique preferences
and requirements, even if you're conducting multiple
deals simultaneously, and keep all of their payment and
shipping information secure. If you sell a variety of
products, organizational skills can also allow you to
maintain an inventory that's easy to use and accessible.
Effective organizational skills let you respond to customer
requests or questions quickly. They can also help you
avoid being late to meetings with customers or delivering
products late.

19. 20. Attention to detail skill
• Customer preferences, budgets and requirements may
vary, and possessing keen attention to detail can help you
notice and remember this information about each of your
clients. This can help you ensure you suggest the product
or service that's right for them and their lifestyle. For
example, if you sell cars, remember details such as the
customer's model and color preferences, family size and
price range. Paying attention to small details like the
name of customers' pets or their favorite vacation spots is
an excellent way to demonstrate that you care and form a
lasting bond with customers

20. 21. Mastery of software and other sales technology skills
• As a salesperson, your role may require you to use sales
software and other technological tools to make, track and
finalize sales. Being familiar with this software can help
you succeed in your role and be more efficient throughout
the sales process. For example, you may use sales tools
such as conversational marketing software and call
intelligence to communicate with clients and close deals.
This type of software analyzes conversations with
customers and helps people decide which sales techniques
are most successful.

21. Selling to customers skills
• Customers are much more likely to buy products and
services from companies they like. And, because the
component of a company a customer is most likely to
come into contact with is a sales individual, these
employees need strong interpersonal skills to build and
maintain relationships with customers. Salespeople can
dedicate time to building rapport with prospects and work
to gain their trust and respect. Some ways you can build
rapport include:
 Greet customers warmly: Start by greeting customers
with a smile and making them feel welcome.
 Listen actively: Listen to their needs and concerns, and
show that you understand them.

22. • Use their name: Using a customer's name makes them
feel valued and important.
• Show empathy: Show empathy by attempting to
understand their point of view.
• Be knowledgeable: Have a good knowledge of your
product or service and be able to answer their questions.
• Be responsive: Respond promptly to their inquiries or
concerns.
• Use positive language: Use positive language to create a
friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
• Personalize the experience: Tailor the experience to the
customer's needs and preferences.

23. • Follow up: Follow up with the customer to ensure their
satisfaction and address any issues that may have arisen.
• Be genuine: Be authentic and sincere in your interactions
with customers to build trust and long-lasting
relationships.
• Make a good first impression: Making a strong first
impression with a customer can help positively influence
the outcome of the sale.
• Ask them questions: Asking a customer questions is a
great way to connect with them and make a sale. It can be
even more helpful to personalize your questions toward
their prospective purchases and interests. This helps to
demonstrate your interest in their needs and in helping
them find what they’re looking for.

24. • Practice active listening: Actively listening to a
customer's answers or inquiries can show them you're
being helpful while forming a beneficial connection. You
can show your active listening skills by using eye contact,
nodding and responding to what they're saying when
appropriate. Also, by actively listening, you can better
understand what the customer is looking for and direct
them to a product that best suits their needs.
• Analyze body language: Understanding a customer's
body language can help you understand when your words
or advice are helping or hindering the sale. By reading a
customer's facial expressions, arm positions and stance,
you can adjust your selling strategy to best fit their needs
and positively influence the sale.

25. • Ensure the product meets their needs: When making a
sale, it's important to ask questions to make sure that the
product they're looking for can actually help them with
their problem or need. By ensuring that the product is
useful to them, you can show your desire to be helpful,
and hopefully that customer might return in the future to
buy from you again.
• Focus on the most vital information: Focusing your
information on the most relevant factors when talking
with a customer can help them better understand the
major benefits of a product or service in an efficient
manner. Highlighting specific aspects of a product can
help narrow down the useful information to target your
customer's needs.

26. • Find something in common: If you take the time to find
something that you and a customer both have in common, you
can better create a connection with the customer that might
help influence the sale. You can discover common traits
through conversation or observation. By examining a
customer's jewelry, clothing or technological devices, you
might be able to find a commonality between the two of you
and form a connection.
• Decipher their motivations for purchasing: You can better
help a customer find what they're looking for by
understanding a customer's motivations for purchasing.
Occasionally, a customer will tell you they're looking for the
cheapest selection of a certain product or item. Sometimes,
this is simply because the customer can't afford a more
expensive option. However, it's also possible that a customer
is purchasing the cheapest option of a product because they
are expecting it to break and will then have to purchase it
again in the future.

27. • Find them the right product: If you're trying to sell a
product to a customer, it can be helpful to suggest another
product that pairs well with the item they're interested in.
By matching one useful product with another, you can
show the customer your knowledge and expertise and
possibly help increase the value of the sale.
 For example, if a customer is purchasing a pair of pants,
consider suggesting a belt or a few shirts that match well
with the pants. By showing the customer more options
that can pair well with the product they need, they might
feel more inclined to purchase the pants, and possibly a
few of the other suggestions as well.