Continuous Learning – Regularly enhancing and updating an individuals knowledge and skill base through reading, attending workshops, listening to audio tapes, etc.

Product Knowledge – Having comprehensive, detailed and current information about products, services, markets, competitors and customers that is necessary to achieve significant sales success.  

Handling Rejection – An ability to experience professional rejection in selling situations without taking it personally, minimizing the impact on motivation level and/or action orientation.

Time Management – The skills needed to maximize productivity when confronted with multiple sales priorities and limited time or resources to achieve those priorities.

Territory Management – The ability to prioritize accounts proactively, determining the amount of time and resources invested in each account to achieve the greatest profitability.

Sales Cycle Management – Understanding modern selling as a series of continually stronger commitments on the part of the prospect or customer (rather than focusing on “one-call closing”) and managing that process in a proactive manner.

Building Rapport – The ability to create strong positive first impressions with prospects and customers, then strengthen and deepen the relationship over time with a consultative approach and a commitment to exceptional customer service.

Prospecting – The habit of continually and proactively (even when current sales activity is strong) asking for referrals, generating sales leads, following up on potential sales opportunities and generating new business.

Asking Tactical Questions – Developing and executing skillfully phrased questions needed to identify a customer’s needs for products or services. Managing the customer relationship to “earn the right” to ask questions and insure that the customer’s response is thorough, engaged and accurate. 

Asking Strategic Questions – Developing and executing carefully sequenced “big picture” questions to strategically link a product or service to a customer’s most important (though often less direct or obvious) needs and issues.

Active Listening – Staying “engaged” throughout the questioning and conversation process, digging deeper as information is revealed. Listening for emotion and subtle meanings as well as tangible content.

Confirming Needs – Insuring that your understanding of a customer’s needs and issues is correct and complete prior to recommending product or service solutions.

Presenting Benefits – Delivering information to a customer in a manner that emphasizes the tangible benefits and advantages they will experience by owning a particular product or service.

Self-Motivation – The attitude of constantly striving to achieve ever greater goals, never resting on past accomplishments, and pushing to increase sales success to the maximum extent possible.

Gaining Commitment – Knowing when and how to ask for the order in a straightforward, non-manipulative manner that primarily focuses on getting the customer what he/she wants.

Overcoming Objections – Skillfully moving a hesitating or doubtful customer toward a decision – eliminating apathy, minimizing concerns, and overcoming all obstacles to the sale.

Reducing Buyers Remorse – Minimizing the natural uncertainty experienced by most customers after making a purchasing decision by reinforcing and reassuring them, focusing on benefits they will experience through ownership.

Self-Coaching – The consistent habit of objective and systemic self-assessment before and after every sales call, resulting in continuous, incremental improvement in sales skills and productivity.

Handling Adversity – Dealing with negative situations and circumstances, especially those outside of ones control, in a manner that minimizes their impact on selling success.

Integrity – The business practices and standards of behavior that create healthy, positive relationships with business associates and contribute to long-term success in a selling career.