You may not realize this yet, but every single one of us embodies the traits of salespeople. We're goal-setters, we're listeners, and we're human beings who are forced to overcome rejection.
While not all of us are Salespeople by trade, we do have the opportunity to learn some of the valuable skills that they portray. With that said, here are three life skills that you can learn from Salespeople that will help you beyond the office:
Goals differ from office to office, but most employees will have set weekly, monthly, or quarterly goals. And if you're in Sales, these goals will often be incentivized - for example, you need to bring in a certain amount of revenue to get your commission for that month. Knowing how to set, progress towards, and achieve a goal is a great life skill to have…especially outside of the workplace. Start small and set a goal like going for a walk in your lunch break or carpooling with a colleague for a week. You'll be surprised how much more motivated you are after completing a set goal!
Being able to persuade with grace and integrity is one thing, but being able to swallow your pride and move on after rejection is another. Be it in a job or a relationship, it's important to know how to handle rejection so that you can continue to move forward no matter what happens - setbacks are a part of life. Learn from your mistakes and ask for feedback where it can be given. That way, you're continually growing and making a positive out of something negative.
No one likes to be cut-off mid-sentence, right? That's why it's important to be an active listener just as much as you are a great talker. Being able to hear your prospects needs, mentally take note of them, and build a conversation around that is a real talent; one that'll get you far in life beyond sales. According to HubSpot, the best sales reps follow the “80/20 rule,” meaning they let the prospect talk for 80% of the conversation while they only speak for 20% of the time. During the 80%, the rep is listening intently and noting conversational points to emphasize later.
So, next time you're in a conversation with a friend, colleague, or customer, remember not to cut them off - instead, lean in, listen, and engage.
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