Many people equate sales skills with smooth talking car dealers or shady snake oil-type salespeople. In reality, solid sales skills can help you in every area of your life, from work to family, no matter what your job or situation!
Think of it this way: whether you’re trying to convince your boss to give you a raise or sell your entire family your vacation idea, you’re tapping into the qualities of a true salesperson. Even when you were a kid, you probably tried to get your parents to agree to a toy or two using a variation on shilling as the means. Since you’ve already got some natural sales skills, the trick for more success is to develop those even further and add on a few new things. Check out the following 10 stellar sales skills you need to learn today for more success in your life.
1. Be An Active Listener
Listening is the hallmark of a slick salesperson. You need to gather information from the other person in order to choose the right approach, and the best way to do that is following what they are saying for hints. Make sure you are an active listener, as in you’re interested and actually taking in the words being said.
2. Forge Solid Connections
People respond to and work better with those they have a connection with. When you’re listening to what the other person is saying, look for common ground and grab onto it when you find it. For example, if the person has a dog and you do too, be sure to work your pet into the conversation. Observe the speaker’s tone and speech patterns, and tweak yours a bit to match. If the person is a fast talker, for instance, you can speed up your speech a bit.
3. Aim For Value
Marketing doesn’t use money as the first line pitch, but value. People like the idea of value first when it comes to products and services, with profit a welcome byproduct, and for good reason. If you focus on value first, profit will follow, and even if it doesn’t, you’ve at least made improvements.
4. Show Your Passion
Passion ignites everyone around you and can help make you a more natural pitch person! Let your passion show through in everything you do, and use that energy to help you overcome any obstacles.
5. Imagine Your Success
The most successful salespeople imagine a positive endgame right out of the gate to keep themselves motivated. Picturing the successful end of whatever you’re trying to do might sound silly, but in reality, that can pump you up and help keep you focused. Think about what the end will be if you play your cards right, and picture that in your mind.
6. Stay Positive And Energized
Salespeople don’t land every deal, and the same applies to you. The trick here is to not let discouragement or failure affect your performance or stop you in your tracks. Don’t take rejection too personally. Learn from it and put yourself forward 100 percent the next time.
7. Bring A Real Solution
In marketing, a fundamental principle of success is selling what people need, or “knowing your audience.” Don’t waste time doing the equivalent of selling people water on an island. Take the time to know the people around you, and build off that knowledge.
8. Hold Eye Contact
Eye contact is the golden rule for speaking to others, but you’d be surprised how often you’re not doing it. Eye contact projects confidence and shows you care about the other person, while avoiding it can be taken as a sign of insecurity and disconnection. Work on maintaining eye contact in a natural way if you notice you are averting your eyes when speaking to others.
9. Don’t Forget The Follow Up
Do you ever get a call asking about your experience after you tried a service or product the first time? Or does your insurance agent check in with your occasionally? If you appreciate these 
gestures, you’re not alone. Follow up on the things you’ve done in your life. If you help a co-worker on a project, for example, check back later to see how it’s going.
10. Remember You Are The First Sale
People have to “buy” you initially if you’re going to get anywhere with them. Work on yourself daily, using tools like self-reflection, meditation and quality motivational guides, so you’re putting your best foot forward and toward success every time!
