Introduction to Salesmanship
continued…
• Characteristics of a good salesman and
sales
• Sales Training and Marketing Concept
• The High Art of Getting the Best Buyers
1
Characteristics of a
good salesman and sales
Max Freedman
Business News Daily Contributing Writer
Updated Jun 09, 2020
“If you want to succeed at selling, it's
important to emulate the traits of those
who came before you. These are some of
the most important traits that successful
salespeople share.” 3
Identifying the core characteristics required for sales success can
help you determine if you have what it takes for a career in sales. It
also can help business owners identify and hire the sales
candidates who will be the best for their bottom lines.
Business News Daily spoke with business leaders to discover
the traits that the most effective and productive salespeople share.
Read these business leaders' thoughts and learn more about the
sales personality types below. [Read related
article: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com]
4
The 4 sales personality styles
When it comes to sales, the four personality types are assertive (sometimes also known
as driver), amiable, expressive and analytic. Each of these types can be broken down
into a cluster of descriptions to paint a picture of the person:
•Assertive: goal-oriented, competitive, decisive, impatient,
controlling, loud; more likely to speak in sentences than in questions
•Amiable: patient, friendly, open to challenges, calm, informal; often
good listeners who ask many questions and seek strong personal
relationships
5
•Expressive: people-pleasing, convicted, colorful, persuasive,
outgoing, creative, spontaneous, intuitive, loyal, enthusiastic; also
likely to speak in sentences instead of questions and seek strong
personal relationships
•Analytic: impersonal, fact-driven, formal, serious, direct,
patient, prepared; likely to ask many questions and not seek
personal sales relationships
6
How to sell to each of the personality types
Sales personality types aren't just important for knowing whether
you'd make a good salesperson – you'll also want to change your
selling methods based on the personality type of the person to
whom you're selling.
Each of the four personality types will react in their own distinct
way to different sales pitching styles. Experts suggest taking the
following approaches when selling to the different personality
types:
7
Assertive
•Be professional.
•Come prepared.
•Only give entirely accurate answers. If you don't
have one, tell the person that you'll investigate it
and get back to them.
•Make short statements and get to the point
quickly.
•Provide examples of your product's benefits.
•Show how your product levels the person with
their competitors.
•Use business metrics rather than subjective
descriptions.
Amiable
•Pitch a vision, not a product.
•Build rapport before beginning your sales
pitch.
•Tell stories about other clients, why they
sought your product, and how it addressed
their issues.
•Gently guide the person through the sales
process instead of bombarding them with
information.
•Offer personal guarantees such as refund
policies.
Expressive
•Show case studies and other fact- and
data-based information.
•Work toward a strong, professional
relationship and build rapport.
•Focus on qualitative rather than
quantitative descriptions.
•Check in with the person often to see
whether you're both on the same page.
10
Analytic
•Be patient.
•Realize the person has likely done
introductory research ahead of time.
•Provide data and numbers instead of
vast, unprovable claims.
•Steer toward facts and away from
building a strong, professional
relationship.
The 14 Traits of Successful
Salespeople
No matter which personality type you're selling to, there are certain
best practices to follow and good characteristics to cultivate.
Business experts we interviewed say that the most successful
salespeople share these traits.
1. They care about the
customer's interests
"Your customers want to know you ... understand
their challenges, dreams, and goals, and have
carefully considered why your solution makes
sense – and they want to be sure you have their
best interests at heart. They have to be sure you
care [more] about their mission and the greater
good than your numbers." – Karin Hurt, founder
of Let's Grow Leaders
2. They're confident
"If you don't believe in your product, you aren't
going to make a customer believe in your product.
If you can confidently explain how your product or
service is going to solve a problem for the
customer, then you've got the customer in the
palm of your hand." – Megan Ingenbrandt, social
media assistant at General Floor
3. They're always on.
"A good salesperson ... is always aware of
her circumstances and surroundings, can
see how her product or service might
positively impact her environment, and will
be prepared to present and make a sale at
any moment." – Judy Crockett, retail
management consultant and owner
of Interactive Marketing & Communication
4. They're subtle.
"Great salespeople never look like they are selling anything. They
are educating, instilling faith and confidence. They are quietly and
invisibly demonstrating why customers should believe in them and, in turn,
buy from them." – Mark Stevens, CEO of Almost Science
16
5. They're resilient
"Top sales achievers have a unique ability to cope with difficulty, to
negotiate obstacles, to optimize performance in the face of adversity. They
take rejection as a personal challenge to succeed with the next customer." –
Jim Steele, president and chief revenue officer of Yext
17
6. They're extroverted
"An extrovert is generally sociable, gets energized
by spending time with other people, likes to talk and
start conversations, and makes friends easily. They
also tend to have many interests. This allows a
salesperson to be willing to meet people, enjoy the
interaction, and talk about many things. The more
subjects they can converse about, the better they're
able to connect with the customer." – Dominick
Hankle, Ph.D. and associate professor of psychology
at Regent University
18
7. They're good
listeners
"You have to listen to the customer's pain
point before you start selling your product
or service. Great salespeople sell solutions
to problems, and they do that
by understanding and listening to the
customer." – Timothy Tolan, CEO and
managing partner of The Tolan
Group (Sanford Rose Associates)
19
8. They're multitaskers
"Multitasking is just a natural occurrence in any
sales environment. You have sales you're trying
to close, leads you're nurturing and following up
on, and potential leads calling or emailing for
more information.
A great multitasker can keep everything sorted,
conducting multiple trains on a one-train track,
and this leads to efficiency, which in turn leads to
better performance." – Coco Quillen, COO and
director of operations at Davinci Virtual Office
Solutions
20
9. They provide insight
"In today's marketplace, most customers are much better informed
and educated before reaching out to a vendor. Simply providing specs
and product data isn't enough. A sales professional with a consultative
mindset identifies customer needs and seeks to tailor custom
solutions that fit those needs." – Rudy Joggerst, digital marketing
manager at Janek Performance Group
21
10. They're persistent
"Persistence, when done respectfully and consistently, breaks through. It reminds
[customers] that you are there with a solution to their problems. It gives them multiple
chances to connect. And though it may take half a dozen times to get a response, land that
meeting or open a discussion, they will thank you in the end." –Michael Mehlberg, co-
founder of Modern da Vinci
22
11. They're honest
"A successful salesperson will not
fib to close a deal, because he or
she knows that you've not only
burned that bridge, but all of the
potential other bridges that lead
from your contact to their
contacts. Better to miss out on a
deal and maintain your honesty,
integrity and network." – Ollie
Smith, founder of ExpertSure 23
12. They're focused
"The reps that achieve the best numbers
quarter after quarter all have one thing in
common: focus. They don't get distracted by
instant messenger or email, and they aren't
worried about office gossip. They understand
what they need to do to be successful and set
goals for themselves to achieve that success.
They act with purpose in their day-to-day and
apply deep focus to all aspects of their work." –
John-Henry Scherck, principal consultant
at Growth Plays
24
13. They're optimistic
and upbeat
"Top salespeople ... tend to be upbeat
and radiate a sense of humor, fun, and
general positivity. While grounded in
reality, they focus on what they can
control, stay on course with optimism
about what they can achieve, and [don't]
let the rest drag them down." – Mike
Kunkle, vice president of sales
effectiveness services at SPARXiQ
25
14. They have a broad
worldview and cultural
understanding
"Timing, decision criteria, financial justifications,
formality, and even the expectations for support
during and after a transaction may be quite
different [in other markets], so international sales
success takes empathy as well as patience.
Additionally, in many markets around the world,
business is based on relationships, which takes
longer to develop when working with international
customers." – Ed Marsh, founder and principal
of Consilium Global Business Advisors
26
Sales Training and
Marketing
Concept
Sales Training Defined: Sales training
is the process of improving seller skills, knowledge,
and attributes to drive seller behavioral change and
maximize sales success. To be most effective,
sales training should be viewed, designed, and
executed as a change management initiative.
28
7 Components of a Successful Sales
Training Program- www.closeriq.com
The quality of training you provide your new
sales hires will shape their future at your
company. To implement a great sales training
program, here are seven important components
to consider:
29
1. Essential Sales Skills
Even for experienced sales reps, training presents an opportunity to
refresh basic sales skills. Here are a few examples of skills to go over
with your reps:
• Finding prospects
• Writing cold emails
• Making a cold call
•Giving a sales demonstration
•Drawing up a proposal
•Closing the deal
•Onboarding clients after a deal
30
To teach these skills most effectively, use
demonstrations and role-playing exercises. Include
video examples. By catering towards multiple styles
of learning, sales representatives will internalize
what they’ve learned.
As part of the training process, you can even ask
trainees to sit in on real-life phone calls and
meetings. Then your best performers can model
their sales skills to new hires.
31
2. The Customer Experience
Genuine empathy for customers is one of the most
important traits any sales representative can cultivate.
To that end, your sales training program should include
modules for helping new representatives to understand
all facets of the customer experience.
The most successful sales representatives empathize
with what customers are feeling at all stages of the
sales process, from initial contact until a deal is closed.
32
Exercising empathy
Don’t just review buyer personas with your team, create
exercises based on real-world situations that elicit
empathy for your target customers. Have new sales
representatives role-play from the perspective of a
customer so that they can put themselves in those
shoes. Introduce new hires to your existing customers’
perspectives by showing them a video, or even setting
up a meeting between new hires and a valued customer.
33
3. Your Products and
Market
Your sales training program should also include detailed
information about your products and market. Emphasize
your Unique Selling Proposition throughout the training
program, so that sales representatives can intelligently
answer the question “what makes you different from your
competitors?”
As part of product training, allow trainees the opportunity to
use the products themselves
34
4. Your Sales Process
Teaching new hires about your individual sales process is
critical. If a new hire has previous sales experience, it’s
likely that they’re using processes that differ from your
own.
35
Make sure everyone leaves training with a comprehensive
understanding of your unique processes, including:
•Preferred methods of lead generation
•Your method for qualifying prospects
•How you define different stages of the sales funnel
•Guiding prospects through the sales process
•Creating a proposal
•Closing a deal
•Up-selling and cross-selling
•Delivering a great customer experience once the deal is
signed
36
To teach your methods effectively, it can be
helpful to review actual case studies in detail.
Role-playing exercises are also a helpful tool.
For example, trainees can practice prospect
qualification by qualifying an example
prospect. You can even use past cases to
create a sense of realism.
37
5.Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) Training
Knowing how to use the CRM system effectively is a critical
skill for modern sales representatives. Provide CRM training
that is specific to your company’s processes and highlights
any customizations you’ve made to the software. Although
training materials provided by the CRM vendor can be a
helpful starting point, your trainees will greatly benefit from
more specialized training.
38
6. Team-building
Exercises
As your new hires learn the basics, include activities
that will help them bond together as a team. Group
exercises should be incorporated throughout the
training. Ideally, training instructors should shake up
the composition of the groups so that people can
get to know as many of their new co-workers as
possible.
39
7. Assessment
The training process should incorporate regular assessment,
including both self-assessment and outside evaluation.
Assessment is useful for customizing training to address
trainees’ individual strengths and weaknesses, and for
measuring the effectiveness of training modules.
To measure a trainee’s growth during the sales training
program, provide them with the same assessment at the
beginning, middle, and end of the training period.
40
Marketing Concept
41
Definition: A marketing concept is a philosophy
that encourages companies to develop products
based on the market’s needs and preferences.
This theory states that successful products and
services are those that actually supply something
that the customer is actually requiring.
42
5 Marketing Concept
Marketing is the process of “creating, communicating, delivering, and
exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners,
and society at large,” according to the American Marketing
Association. This process is done in a number of different ways;
marketing professionals use one or more of the five concepts of
marketing in order to earn consumer confidence and create
profitable, long-term relationships with consumers. But not all the
concepts are equally effective.
43
Robert Katai, an experienced marketing strategist, provides
the definition of a marketing concept: “A strategy that
companies and marketing agencies design and implement in
order to satisfy customers’ needs, maximize profits, satisfy
customer needs, and beat the competitors or outperform
them.”
The main five include the production, product, selling,
marketing, and societal concepts, and they have been evolving
for decades. Not every concept is beneficial to every business,
so here is a timely and convenient opportunity to learn more
about each one.
44
The Production Concept
The production concept is focused on operations and is based on the assumption
that customers will be more attracted to products that are readily available and
can be purchased for less than competing products of the same kind.
This concept came about as a result of the rise of early capitalism in the 1950s, at
which time, companies were focused on efficiency in manufacturing to ensure
maximum profits and scalability.
This philosophy can be useful when a company markets in an industry
experiencing tremendous growth, but it also carries a risk. Businesses that are
overly focused on cheap production can easily lose touch with the needs of the
customer and ultimately lose business despite its cheap and accessible goods.
45
The Product Concept
The product concept is the opposite of the production concept in that it assumes
that availability and price don’t have a role in customer buying habits and that
people generally prefer quality, innovation, and performance over low cost. Thus,
this marketing strategy focuses on continuous product improvement and
innovation.
Apple Inc. is a prime example of this concept in action. Its target audience always
eagerly anticipates the company’s new releases. Even though there are off-brand
products that perform many of the same functions for a lower price, many folks
will not compromise just to save money.
Working on this principle alone, however, a marketer could fail to attract those
who are also motivated by availability and price.
46
The Selling Concept
Marketing on the selling concept entails a focus on getting the consumer to the
actual transaction without regard for the customer’s needs or the product quality —
a costly tactic. This concept frequently excludes customer satisfaction efforts and
doesn’t usually lead to repeat purchases.
The selling concept is centered on the belief that you must convince a customer to
buy a product through aggressive marketing of the benefits of the product or
service because it isn’t a necessity.
An example is soda pop. Ever wonder why you continue to see ads for Coca Cola
despite the prevalence of the brand? Everyone knows what Coke has to offer, but
it’s widely known that soda lacks nutrients and is bad for your health. Coca Cola
knows this, and that’s why they spend astonishing amounts of money pushing their
product. 47
The Marketing Concept
The marketing concept is based on increasing a company’s ability to compete and
achieve maximum profits by marketing the ways in which it offers better value to
customers than its competitors. It’s all about knowing the target market, sensing
its needs, and meeting them most effectively. Many refer to this as the “customer-
first approach.”
Glossier is a recognizable example of this marketing concept. The company
understands that many women are unhappy with the way that makeup affects the
health of their skin. They also noticed that women are fed up with being told what
makeup products to use. With this in mind, Glossier introduced a line of skincare
and makeup products that not only nourish the skin but are also easy to use and
promote individualism and personal expression with makeup.
48
The Societal Concept
The societal marketing concept is an emerging one that emphasizes the welfare of
society. It’s based on the idea that marketers have a moral responsibility to
market conscientiously to promote what’s good for people over what people may
want, regardless of a company’s sales goals. Employees of a company live in the
societies they market to, and they should advertise with the best interests of their
local community in mind.
The fast-food industry is an example of what the societal concept aims to address.
There’s a high societal demand for fast food, but this food is high in fat and sugar
and contributes to excess waste. Even though the industry is answering the
desires of the modern consumer, it’s hurting our health and detracting from our
society’s goal of environmental sustainability.
49
How to Choose the Right Marketing Concept
While not all of the above concepts are effective (or perhaps as effective as they
once were), you can utilize aspects from multiple concepts in designing and
strategizing a marketing plan. As you plan, you need to ask yourself some
questions before deciding which marketing concept(s) to base it on. Consider the
following:
•Who is your target audience? Which demographics are
interested in your products or services? What are they looking
for you and what you have to offer? What attracts this
demographic to your company? How can you use that to turn
these people into customers?
50
•What are your goals besides making money? For
example, are you trying to establish a loyal customer
base? Are you trying to fill a hole in the industry you’re
selling in?
•What makes your brand unique? What education do
they need to be enticed to buy?
51
The High Art of Getting
the Best Buyers
The Art of Finding the Right Buyer for Your
Business | Inc.com
References:
https://www.marketing91.com/salesmanship/
https://www.shopify.com/encyclopedia/retail
https://tools.mheducation.ca/college/futrell1/graphics/futrell1rsf_information/1rsf_sample.pdf
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4173-personality-traits-successful-sales-people.html
https://www.rainsalestraining.com/blog/what-is-sales-training
https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-dictionary/marketing-concept
https://www.closeriq.com/blog/2017/03/successful-sales-training-program/
53
