Company ProfileSales Development SolutionConferences and SpeechesNewsletters and ArticlesStrategic AlliancesSales Tips and Fun StuffCareer OpportunitiesContact Us

Sales Tips and Fun Stuff

Discover Your Selling Strengths and Weaknesses:

Selling requires more than a good sales presentation. It's the feeling of success that can make a big difference in bottom line results.

When combined with the ability to recognize what is working and what is not, this feeling of success in selling may be the mental toughness needed to relax in difficult situations.

Based on interviews with peak performance sellers, I have developed a profile of what it takes to succeed in selling. To find out how you fit this peak performance profile, take the self-scoring test below. By doing so you determine for yourself what your strengths and weaknesses as a salesperson are. Then you can build on what works for you. Once you get in touch and stay in touch with the feeling of success in selling, you never lose it.

The essential success skills for a salesperson are the ability to get information about the customer's problems and objectives, and the courage to do the things you fear doing in selling.

You can have the best product in the market but if the customer doesn't want what you're emphasizing, or you are unwilling to take the selling action necessary to help the customer, you're wasting your sales time.

There are 20 questions in the sales profile below. Rate your answers on a scale of one to four. The questions focus on four specific areas sales technique, confidence, product application and sales planning. A score of less than 10 in any category is a red flag, signaling the need to make some fast improvements in your selling approach.

Success in Selling Profile
  Almost
never
Seldom Often Almost
always
  1. I listen much more than I talk in selling.

  2. I feel relaxed, confident and full of energy while I'm selling.

  3. I analyze the buyer's probable objectives and problems as a person before I decide how to sell my product.

  4. l spend my time with the right prospects who represent both high dollar potential and high probability of buying from me soon.

  5. I anticipate sales objections and prevent them or answer them confidently without stress.

  6. I'm able to gain the customer's trust for my selling in the first 30 seconds with my first impression.

  7. I sell results with what my products do for people, not just the product details that describe what my products are or how they work.

  8. I continually add new, qualified prospects so my sales results are consistent, with few peaks and valleys.

  9. I get to the customer's objectives and problems quickly with questions.

  10. I'm able to ask for information or to ask customers to buy without hesitation or fear of the customer's reaction.

  11. I'm able to position my products as clearly different form the products offered by competition.

  12. I make sales because of my persistent, organized follow-up with prospects and key accounts.

  13. I frequently check customer reaction to my selling and adjust my selling style to fit the person or the situation.

  14. Whether I make a sale or not, I find success in every sales contact even if the success is only what I learn, the fun I have from the experience, or the progress I make toward a future sale.

  15. I'm able to identify all the buying influences in each sale and adapt my selling to their different objectives.

  16. I'm able to sell without much price resistance by analyzing for each prospect how my product has value in preventing losses and helping him/her meet objectives.

  17. I notice and repeat what works in my selling, and when what I'm doing isn't working, I try something else.

  18. While I'm selling, I'm thinking about solving problems for the customer, not about my presentation or about what might go wrong.

  19. I'm able to increase the size of my sales by negotiating new options or by demonstrating how additional products make the first product better.

  20. I know my position relative to competition with all the players at my key accounts and I have a specific strategy for increasing my share of their business.

1

1

1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1

 

1


1

 

1


1


1



1

 

2

2

2


2


2


2


2


2


2


2


2


2


2


2

 

2


2

 

2


2


2



2

 

3

3

3


3


3


3


3


3


3


3


3


3


3


3

 

3


3

 

3


3


3



3

4

4

4


4


4


4


4


4


4


4


4


4


4


4

 

4


4

 

4


4


4



4

To identify specific areas for improvement in your selling, total your score for each of the four catagories of selling. To find out how your sales technique rates, total questions l, 5, 9, 13 and 17. Your level of confidence is indicated by the sum of questions 2, 6, 10, 14 and 18. Add up questions 3, 7, 11, 15 and 19 to determine how well you're able to apply your products to meet customer objectives. For your sales planning capabilities, count up the totals from questions 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20. A score of 18 or higher on any of these selling factors is asign of selling strength, and a score of 10 or lower is a red flag that this aspect of your selling needs improvement.

Add the numbers you have circled to determine your total score.

TOTAL ____________________________________

Here's what your score means:

75-80 You're selling at peak performance
65-74 You're are a high sales achiever
45-64 You're are in the middle of the pack
20-44 You need some coaching

Contact Us:

Schneider Sales Management Inc.
5340 S Quebec Street, Suite 265N
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
Phone: (303)221-4511
Fax: (303)221-4650
Email:
info@schneidersales.com

Copyright 2006, Schneider Sales Management, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

[Company Profile] [Sales Development Solutions] [Conferences/Speeches] [Newsletter/Articles]
[Strategic Alliances] [Sales Tips/Fun Stuff] [Career Opportunities] [Contact Us]