SOLUTION 60
GETTING ON IN SALES
Just as the products and services that you sell require presentation, so do you. Whether you are selling yourself to your current employer (seeking a raise), a prospective employer (seeking a job), or to a new prospect (seeking a sale), you must package yourself as well as your products without bragging, boasting or embellishing facts.
HOW TO BECOME A BETTER SELF-SELLER
To know the extent and value of your skills you must evaluate yourself objectively. A good way to do this is to prepare a self-resume – this is a bit like a Cv, but the difference is that the end result is for your eyes only, so you can be as thorough as you like. Include knowledge, training and experience that contribute to your selling skills. Consider the variety of your sales experiences as well as the types of products or services that you have sold. State facts in measurable terms and write them down. Think of yourself as a product and ask yourself: What are your features? What are the benefits of those features? What types of problems can your product (you) solve for others (your customers)?
one day you may sell ice to the Inuit, but until then stick to the facts
QUICK FIX: ASK A FRIEND
Sometimes the best way to see ourselves is through another’s eyes. It can help, therefore, when seeking to understand yourself and your qualities more objectively, to ask the opinion of a friend or colleague.
BUILDING YOUR TRACK RECORD
As you grow and succeed in sales, you will gain valuable experience and meet measurable goals. To ensure you can impress future employers, follow these important steps:
Keep records Establish and maintain an effective record-keeping system to track prospects, customers and sales; it will give you the specifics you need to show progress and success in your career.
Win awards In most sales organizations, awards are frequently given to recognize success; aim to win as many as you can and proudly display the trophies too.
Get recommendations Collect recommendations from satisfied customers. Ask for a letter of recommendation on their letterhead, or if you can add them to a list of people who will be advocates for you (useful to give to prospects).
Build confidence self-belief depends on facts rather than desires; you either have reasons to believe in your abilities or you don’t. By building the evidence of your previous successes – by keeping records of your achievements, winning sales awards, and getting recommendations from your customers – you can believe in your future success.