A truly successful and fulfilling sales career does not revolve around merely meeting quota every month. If you want to build a thriving sales career that leaves a lasting impact on your business and your personal life, you have to excel in three core areas. In this blog post, I’ll explain each of these three areas and share tips on how to work towards mastering each.

(1) Selling Expertise - Know How To Sell
A common mistake I see salespeople make often is thinking they can rest on their personality or extensive product knowledge to sell like a professional. Of course, building relationships and having a communicative personality are great ways to bond with your prospects. Your charm and product knowledge won’t matter though if you don’t know how to properly qualify your prospect or establish a clear way forward for them. If you want to become a true professional and stand out, you have to prioritize building your skills around the art of selling. 

True sales professionals invest in continuous learning to sharpen their sword and learn how to actually sell. There are dozens of excellent sales training programs out there that will teach you a sales process. At Sell As You Are, we teach our clients the six-step SAYA System which gives you a process to work within when meeting with prospects. From running a proper Discovery, to establishing clear next steps, you’ll want to learn the ins and outs of how to be proactive and lead your prospects towards a decision.

(2) Personal Awareness - Know Thyself
Your subjective experience (i.e. your first experiences with money and sales, your level of self-confidence, the way you prefer to buy etc.) will directly influence the way you show up in your sales career. Self-awareness is the foundation upon which you can build your success. It involves recognizing your strengths, areas of improvement, motivations, emotions, blocks, and so much more.

A large component of sales is about emotional intelligence and your ability to connect with people. As you invest in developing your own emotional intelligence, you’ll be able to empathize with prospects and build trust that is authentic and genuine. In order to have a fulfilling career in sales, it’s critical to raise your self-awareness and build that confidence from the inside out. 

Self-awareness also helps you align your goals with your strengths and passions, making it easier to stay motivated and achieve success. Attend workshops, listen to podcasts, read books, and do everything you can to gain more familiarity with who you are, what motivates you, and why you show up the way you do. The truth is, rejection is part and parcel of sales. True professionals bounce back from setbacks, learn from failures, and keep pushing forward because of their personal motivation and sense of self-security.

(3) Product Knowledge - Know What You Sell
Now that you know yourself and you know how to sell, it’s time to apply your thorough knowledge of the product or service you sell. This is the third and final component of a fulfilling sales career for good reason - you can’t effectively sell a product or service if you don't fully understand it. Keep in mind, this is not the only component for good reason as well. If you know how to sell (component 1), you truly can be a professional at selling anything. Product knowledge is the icing on the cake, not the cake itself. 

Invest time in getting to know your product inside out. Know its features, benefits, and most importantly - how it solves your customer's problems. You’ll also want to have knowledge about your competitors and understand how your product compares to theirs. This knowledge allows you to highlight your unique selling points effectively throughout your Discovery and Proposal.

In conclusion, a thriving sales career is a blend of sales expertise, self-awareness, and product knowledge. Learning how to sell like a professional, understanding yourself, and being deeply familiar with your product are the key components that will set you on the path to success.

Remember, success in sales is not an overnight achievement. It's a journey that requires dedication, continuous improvement, and a commitment to adding value to your customers' lives. Embrace these three components, and you'll find yourself not just meeting quotas but thriving in your sales career.

When you're ready to explore these three components in depth, don't hesitate to book a call with me. Our Sales Club has witnessed the transformative power of investing in these areas, leading to remarkable personal and professional growth for countless sales professionals like yourself. Your path to a thriving sales career begins with mastering these three pillars.