If you are in sales then you probably know there are certain things you have to do to become successful. One of the characteristics of great sales people is the fact that they are extremely confident. A customer can sense if you are not sure of yourself or your product. That's why it is so important to know your product and services. The more competent you are the more confident you become.

You must be a good communicator and have the ability to establish rapport with your customer. Establishing rapport helps you to break the ice and begin the process of relating to and understanding a customer. You must also have the ability to ask the right questions and in the right way. Start with open end questions. These are questions which cannot be answered with a simple yes or know. They entice the customer to give you more information.

These type of questions get the customer talking about themselves. One example of an open end questions is the following: Please explain your experience with investments. Listening is another good quality because this helps you understand the customers needs and then gives you the ability to recommend the correct product or service. Customers want to know that they can trust you and that you have their best interest at heart.

As a sales person you can also use closed end questions. These are questions that the customer will answer with a yes or no and are designed to help you close the sale and control the conversation. One example is "Do You feel comfortable with high risk products?".

Another good quality to have is the ability to overcome objections. More sales people will tell you that they made the sell after the customer made their first objection. The recognized and understood the objection. Sometimes it's a matter of giving the customer more information.

You have to be persistent. The average sale is not made until the customer has said no 5 or 6 times therefore you must have the ability to persevere with a course of action despite the difficulty. If a prospective client objects to your product offering always summarize the customers objection and then have a solution that will help the customer understand why your product or service is going to solve their problem.

And finally be enthusiastic, friendly, confident and persistent. Take some notes immediately after talking with a customer. Perhaps they have children and if you know the children by name it will let the customer know that you were listening and have a sincere interest in helping them eradicate their problem whatever it might by.

Learn more about this author, Melvin Richardson.
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