13/04/2020
1. Active Listening Skills
An inbound approach to sales starts by listening.
With active listening skills, you have a chance to show others you can be trusted – in other words, they can drop their guard and stop defending themselves against “being sold to.” Only then do prospective customers start to discuss their real problems and leave themselves open to building rapport.
2. A Value Creation Mindset
In the old days, sales confidence came from seeing everyone as a potential customer.
Nowadays, even as prospects have become more qualified, successful organizations have shifted their focus. Today, you generate something worthwhile for prospects even before you make the sale.
3. Adaptability to Customer Needs
This stems from the value creation mindset. Sure, you have a defined portfolio of products and services, but you realize one size never fits all.
To create a package that meets customer needs now and in the future, you have to be willing to improvise. When you put on your listening ears, prospects give you the fuel you need. You just need to match that to what your enterprise can offer.
4. Ability to Research Customers Heavily
Getting to know your prospects before the call has always been important. That said, there’s never been more sources of information than there is today.
To stay aware of all the latest, a sales professional needs to be fluent in social media, industry publications, specialized news outlets, and much more. Synthesizing all that into a clear picture quickly is absolutely essential.
5. Collaboration Across Roles and Functions
A versatile sales leader should work with marketing, but that’s only the beginning. For real and lasting success, be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get involved anywhere your expertise is needed.
You might find yourself partnering with the web design or content team, the product development organization, and more. Always be alert to opportunities that will ultimately make selling easier.
6. A Head for Emerging and Long-Term Trends
When it comes to the hottest new information on what prospects are thinking, nobody can beat the sales team. To make the most of that, though, ask yourself: How’s your head for data?
Turning your customer insights into actionable intelligence means recognizing when and how things are changing. Often, that means being fluent in modern business intelligence and CRM.
7. Enablement Through the Latest Technologies
BI dashboards, CRM ... those technologies are key, but the right orientation to technology goes beyond any single tool.
Sales winners of tomorrow need to embrace mobile, where everything is happening. They need to move fast and fluidly through the cloud, using its bounties to support and extend their organization. And they need to look beyond yesterday’s Excel and PowerPoint!
8. Willingness to Lay Off the Pressure
As the great sales trainer Kenny Rogers once said, you gotta know when to fold ‘em. Along with the customer focus of inbound comes the inevitable reality that some people just aren’t your customers.
The more you’re willing to relate to others on their level, the easier it will be to hone in on those who you can help to the mutual benefit of everyone. Otherwise, walk away.
9. The Vision to See the Big Picture
Riding on the heels of #8, an ability to zoom out and take a bird’s eye view will give you the energy to ride high when things are down. If you’re up against a tough quota, a streak of 10 bad breaks might seem like a disaster.
When you look at the big picture – how sales fits into the partnership of marketing, product development, and strategic goals – things often look brighter.
10. Ability to Juggle Multiple Tasks
Sales is no walk in the park. You're constantly emailing, calling, video chatting, and setting up meeting with potential customers.
It's important that people in sales can juggle multiple things at once. Keep yourself organized with calendars, Post-it notes, and reminders. Plus, if you have a more robust CRM with task creation, you can create quick task reminders for yourself to keep you on top of your high leads.
