Keep your Sales Skills up to Date

As a super sales person, it is up to you to make sure that your sales skills are totally up to date.

You may find that your employer is keen on personal and professional development and there is plenty of opportunity for you to attend training courses. If this is the case, take full advantage of it.

Attending decent courses off you own bat is terribly expensive, not to mention time consuming, so if you get the chance to attend and it is paid for by your employer, go for it! This is even better if the training is done in work time, with a free lunch platter from Prêt a Manger, but even if it is all day on a Saturday, it is worth your while.

Training Courses

There is a wide variety of training courses available for the super sales person, some which are clearly beneficial to your sales skills and others which come from a rather more obtuse angle. There is nothing wrong with going on every course possible because there will usually be at least one gem of information that is really helpful.

A lot of the more traditional training courses are structured depending on what level of seniority you are at in the sales person chain. Popular themes include overcoming client objections and taking detailed project briefs.

The more unusual training courses tend to focus more on motivation and personal confidence development, rather than actual sales. The theory being that the more confident and driven a sales person is, the better their sales figures will be. This is usually true, but just be careful that you do not become so highly strung that your friends no longer want to hang out with you.

Keep Up To Date with Industry Trends

You cannot expect your sales skills to be up to date if your industry knowledge is not. In every industry there are new trends emerging all the time. These can vary from very small details, such as current buzz words, to major projects that have been won and lost.

In order to be a credible sales person, you need to be in the know. You don’t have to drop buzz words into every conversation or you will look like some kind of corporate Tourettes sufferer, but you need to know what someone else means if they say the latest phrase.

Similarly, if you are aware of projects, exhibitions and current affairs that relate to your industry, you can talk freely and knowledgeably with your clients, rather than just looking like you have pound signs in your eyes.

Be Your Own Critic

Keeping your sales skills up to date is not only about attending training courses and reading the trade press. It is about being aware of how you come across to clients and making sure you are the best you can be.

Look at your work wardrobe, consider how you introduce yourself when you meet a client and whether you smoke if you go for a coffee with a client. It all matters and it all reflects on how clients and colleagues see you. These elements of your personal presentation require just as much attention as your actual sales skills.