7 Tried and True Ways to Improve Your Sales Skills

No matter where you are in your career, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is resting on your laurels. There is always room for improvement, or at least reminders to keep your momentum and maintain good habits.

Here are some essential sales skills that are important to maintain, not only regarding our current situation, but at any point – present or future. Think of this as a quick refresher on habits you should have front and center, featuring advice from not only myself but other stalwarts in the industry.

1. Sales meeting etiquette. The landscape of our business has changed drastically over the past year, with many of us handling most – if not all – of our sales calls remotely via live/virtual calls, emails, and the like. I have written about how important it is to be aware of how you sound and appear during a video chat. There are additional insights in this sales blog via Gong, where you’ll also find other essentials of having a remote one-on-one that’s effective.
2. Have a clear-cut process. Whether you’re working freelance or as part of a team, your sales process should work like a well-oiled machine. This includes your interactions and follow-up, as well as the financial side of things. The more you put that system into practice, the better it will be for both you and your clients.
3. Pay attention to your communication patterns. Every now and then we need a refresher on how to speak to our prospects and customers. There are the usual hallmarks I recommend often, such as utilizing storytelling and starting with your “why.” However, there are other effective avenues to explore. I would recommend checking out David Bailey’s 10 Communication Patterns Used by Great Leaders, where you’ll likely find some new tactics to add to your arsenal.
4. Dealing with objections. You may be hearing objections you haven’t heard before, which is why I recommend our Overcoming Objections online/on-demand training or delving into lessons 75 – 86 of Selling in 6™️. There we cover more than 60 typical objections to energy upgrades and how to address each one most effectively. You can also check out some other takes on general objections, such as “I don’t know” or “I’m not interested.”
5. Vary your sales cadence. Not everyone's the same! Some people prefer voicemails while others go out of their way to make it impossible to leave a message. Others prefer emails or texts. SalesGravy suggests adding video messages to the mix. Of course, once you know your prospect’s preferred mode of communication, you can vary things a little. My preferred mode is sending an email of whatever I have promised and following up with a voicemail, but only if I know that combo falls within my prospect’s communication preferences.
6. Customers can be the best internal champions. Creating a network of shares, referrals and testimonials can expedite your sales process. This isn’t possible without maintaining a relationship with your customers and using their feedback to reach out to potential prospects.
7. Get back to basics. Lastly, successful sales professionals often have certain traits in common. Here are nine to revisit via Anthony Iannarino, as well as advice on how to keep cultivating good habits.