The secret of the best salespeople? Master these 20 sales skills

We often hear that knowing how to sell is innate, that it can't be learned. So yes, some people are naturally gifted in the art of selling. However, as in any field, it is possible to develop new skills over the course of your career.

So what are the essential sales skills that you need to master in order to perform at your best and stay ahead of the game in today's fast-moving world?

Communication, empathy, listening skills, negotiation... there are 20 of them, and this article reviews them all, with a few tips on how to perfect your skills.

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# 1 Communication

It's the basics: sales jobs absolutely require communication skills.

In addition to your ability to generate sympathy (hence the importance of non-verbal communication), it's important to always express yourself clearly and find the right words to inspire confidence. Without this confidence, it's impossible to convince your interlocutor.

However, you mustn't be too intrusive. So use your emotional intelligence to identify the customer's reactions to your sales pitch and adapt it as needed.

💡 This necessary ability to communicate also applies to the written word, in email exchanges for example. A good salesperson takes great care with his or her text and, of course, avoids spelling mistakes that are "bad form".

# 2 Empathy

Offering the right product to the right person at the right time is the magic formula for elevating your business to success 🚀.

Since we were just talking about emotional intelligence, let's remember that a good salesperson is required to identify the customer's exact needs in a given context. So he or she needs to be able to put himself or herself in the customer's shoes, to show empathy in short.

💡 In addition to getting to know your interlocutor's desires in terms of products or services, it's also a question of emotions. For example, understanding their concerns makes it much easier to deal with objections.

#3 Product knowledge

Who hasn't complained to a salesperson in a store who seemed to be "freewheeling" in the face of their questions?

While this may seem obvious, not all companies have assimilated this basic principle: a good salesperson knows his or her offer inside out:

• its characteristics,
• its advantages,
• its technical specifications,
• its value proposition,
• price,
• use cases, etc.

Thanks to these skills, you can :

• offer your prospects the level of service they expect, and effectively support them in their purchasing decision;
• find the right arguments to encourage them to put their money where their mouth is.

There are many ways to develop this product knowledge, starting with training. But, if possible, why not test the merchandise yourself? Nothing beats first-hand experience to fully grasp how it works and its benefits!

💡 Don't just master the items or services offered by your company: also develop solid sector expertise (customers can challenge you on it!). In particular, take an interest in emerging trends, new market developments and competitors' activities.

#4 Active listening

Even if salespeople are good talkers, they also (and above all!) need to listen to their customers, and listen to them ACTIVELY. Remember: you must first understand their needs before you can roll out your sales pitch.

But what's active listening?

It's a communication process that involves paying close attention to the person expressing themselves, with the aim of understanding their emotions and responding with empathy.

💡 But how do you go about it in practical terms? Here are a few tips:

• remain silent and don't interrupt the customer who's speaking, while remaining active to show your attention (nodding your head, for example) ;
• ask questions to make sure you've understood;
• go deeper into the other person's words to better understand their needs and anticipate objections.

# 5 Adaptability

Without adaptability, it's impossible to adjust quickly to customers' changing needs and to changes in society.

This skill goes hand in hand with the ability to learn, essential for keeping up with developments in your sector.

👉 One example is the digital transformation of the profession, which has forced many salespeople, sometimes endowed with little appetite for technology :

• learn to use computer software;
• then to integrate them into their daily processes.

# 6 Negotiation

Acquiring a new customer, or getting an old one to re-sign, often involves a skilful negotiation game, especially when it comes to overcoming objections.

But what makes a good negotiator?

A good negotiator is someone who is able to strike the right balance between giving in to the demands of the other party, while subtly leading them towards the desired conclusion. In this case, selling.

💡 If this art of negotiation seems complicated, don't panic, everything can be prepared! Here are a few tips:

• consider different scenarios so you don't run out of arguments;
• think about the added value of the product if the price proves (as is often the case) to be blocking. For example, better customer service, flexible delivery, etc. ;
• be ready to adapt the offer as needed;
• create a sense of urgency and use incentives to encourage the decision to buy.

#7 Surpassing yourself

The ability to surpass oneself, fueled by the setting of sales objectives, is the essence of every excellent salesperson. It's essential for stimulating motivation, while following the right direction.

☝️ Be careful, however, to choose the right objectives. They need to be sufficiently challenging to generate the expected emulation, but also achievable so as not to discourage the teams.

#8 Presentation skills

If you want to capture the interest of your audience (customers, employees, management, partners, etc.), it's in a salesperson's best interest to excel in both oral and written presentations.

It's therefore important to pay careful attention to the way you speak and your posture, so as to make your speech both impactful and persuasive. We also advise you to rely on visuals to support your words, such as PDFs, PowerPoint, etc.

💡 The ability to present well differs from the previously mentioned ability to communicate well. While the two notions are close :

• the first, more one-sided, involves informing and convincing your audience in a given context ;
• whereas the second aims to establish an exchange, and thus weave a relationship between two protagonists.

# 9 Curiosity

Curiosity is a highly valued professional skill, and the world of business is no exception.

By being curious, and therefore keeping yourself regularly informed, you gain a better understanding of how to behave in a market which, as we've seen, is constantly evolving. For example, you'll stay abreast of :

• trends to surf on,
• consumer expectations,
• new competitors in the sector, etc.

💡 All this constantly gathered information forms a solid knowledge base, useful for enhancing your offer or finding new business ideas.

# 10 Resilience

The life of a salesperson is made up of highs... but also of lows. Difficult customers, rejections and declining sales come to mind. In short, there are many circumstances that can undermine morale!

☝️ So you need to be resilient- that is, acquire the ability to bounce back from setbacks and other stressful situations. In other words, bouncing back from rejection or bad news is essential to maintaining the level of motivation you need to be effective.

# 11 Patience

Patience is one of the key qualities of a salesperson, whether they work in a physical outlet or online, in BtoC or BtoB.

It's up to you to adapt to your customers' pace, not the other way around, even if your business involves long sales cycles. What's more, rushing sometimes compromises trust, and therefore the success of the operation.

💡 So take the time to cultivate lasting relationships with your prospects and customers. In this way, you'll establish a solid, long-lasting partnership, a source of real profit for your organization.

#12 Organizational skills

Whether in a store or behind a desk, a salesperson is often involved in several tasks at once. For example, in addition to sales, BtoB teams manage a whole administrative side (contracts in particular). In a physical sales outlet, you're usually responsible for stock, shelving, checkout, etc.

Consequently, it's best to prioritize your activities intelligently and coordinate perfectly with your colleagues. What's more, it's advisable to give sales staff a minimum of training in project management.

👉 Thanks to your organizational skills, you'll not only maintain your efficiency, but also project a more professional image to your customers.

# 13 Time management

This point echoes the previous one. As we've just seen, salespeople juggle numerous tasks on a daily basis... often under tight deadlines (they have to meet the month's objectives on time!). Hence the importance of good time management.

So it's vital to know how to plan ahead wisely and organize your schedule accordingly.

💡 Lean on technology! CRM software, for example, is capable of automating many activities, such as updating contact information, tracking interactions or drawing up dashboards. Freed from these tasks, sales people can concentrate more on strategic, value-generating missions.

#14 Taking the initiative

Taking the initiative is a highly valued quality in the sales profession.

Have you noticed that one of your company's usual sales techniques isn't working with a particular customer? Don't wait for your manager to give you the green light: dare to try something different!

☝️ Of course, take a step back after each experiment to determine whether your tactic was successful, and how you can improve next time.

# 15 Conflict resolution

Unfortunately, conflict is a fact of life for salespeople. These frictions arise with customers, but also with other employees.

Your objective? Detect problems as early as possible, analyze them and then resolve them as quickly as possible, before things escalate.

💡 Good conflict resolution always involves adopting a certain posture. For example:

• keep calm and avoid over-emotional reactions ;
• listen carefully to the points of view of the various parties and show that you understand their concerns;
• seek compromise;
• be patient and persevere in finding solutions.

# 16 Stress management

The sales profession is subject to an obligation to achieve results, as well as numerical targets. All good reasons to feel stressed!

However, you mustn't let this pressure prevent you from making the right decisions, or even compromise your relationship with your customers (diminished listening skills, for example).

💡 Learning to manage stress means :

• becoming aware of the elements that trigger this feeling of tension;
• developing relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, physical exercise, etc. ;
• establishing an effective routine for managing time and priorities, as described above.

# 17 Team spirit

As a rule, salespeople work as part of a team. And contrary to popular belief, to achieve the organization's overall objectives, it's best not to (always) go it alone.

👉 In fact, creating real cohesion within the department makes it easier to :

• help each other out when problems arise,
• make the most of each other's skills,
• exchange best practices.

In the end, team spirit means that challenges are solved more quickly, and the performance of the company as a whole is enhanced.

# 18 Networking

The ability to network is one of the most sought-after skills in a salesperson. It is all the more appreciated as part of a social selling strategy, i.e. the use of social networks with the aim of generating leads.

💡 There's more to life than the virtual 🖥️! That's why we urge you to keep going to professional events. These turn out to be golden opportunities to directly develop relationships with potential customers, but also to interact with other players in the sector, and thus reinforce your credibility in your field.

#19 Mastering technological tools

The sales profession, like any other, is becoming increasingly digitalized. And an employee who struggles with technology, or is even resistant to it, often delays the process and ends up holding up the smooth running of the business.

💡 We can only recommend that sales people learn to master to perfection the software or applications in place in their organization. For example, it's a safe bet that you use a CRM to centralize customer information and optimize your sales operations.

And physical sales outlets are no slouches when it comes to technology! More and more, sales staff need to familiarize themselves with devices such as cash register software.

#20 Customer care

Finally, we often hear it, but acquiring a new customer costs the company much more than retaining an existing one.

In other words, capitalize on your current portfolio by ensuring excellent customer follow-up. That way, as soon as they again feel a need that you're able to meet, they'll naturally turn to you.

💡 Here are a few suggestions:

• continue to take an interest in your customers, by checking in on them, for example;
• answer their questions as quickly as possible;
• always welcome their feedback (even the most negative) and show them that you take their remarks into consideration.

How can you improve your sales skills? Our 3 tips

By now you know all the essential sales skills, but you may be wondering how to acquire or develop them. 🤔

Answer in 3 tips 👉 :

Tip 1: Keep training

Have you ever been to a business school or other apprenticeship structure?

Well, you're not done with training, which is essential if you're to develop technical sales skills, or even softskills, throughout your career.

While it's up to each individual salesperson to continue progressing on his or her own, training can also be supported by companies. Many of them, for example, call on training organizations to deliver courses to their employees.

💡 Some organizations also make use of software specifically developed for this purpose. One example is Seismic, a "sales enablement" platform deployed to help teams maximize their performance. In particular, it includes a training and coaching module, which supports sales staff as they develop their skills, with the help of interactive courses, role-playing and training sessions. Of course, content and pace can be adapted to the company's needs.

Tip 2: Welcome customer feedback

Since empathy is one of the greatest qualities of salespeople, we recommend that you gather feedback from customers as often as possible. It's a good way to identify their needs!

💡 To do this, you can :

• create and distribute online surveys, via email for example;
• contact customers directly by telephone to conduct an interview and obtain detailed feedback;
• monitor testimonials on online platforms, such as social networks or review sites.

Yes, you can get feedback, but you have to take it into account and activate concrete levers for improvement. In other words, collecting feedback for the sake of collecting feedback is pointless.

Tip 3: Conduct regular research

As you can see, to be a good salesperson, it's important to keep abreast of issues concerning your products and your market, as well as developments in the sales profession itself. Basically, you need to think " continuous improvement ".

💡 Our advice? Stay curious and consult regularly :

• specialized sites or forums on your sectors or on sales in general ;
• social networks, such as LinkedIn, and in particular the accounts of experts/influencers who inspire you ;
• webinars or podcasts on topics you'd like to learn more about;
• discussion groups, perfect for stimulating ideas.

See all software Sales Enablement

What makes a good salesperson?

Empathy, patience, curiosity, adaptability, negotiation... there are many sales skills that you absolutely must master. It's not just a question of knowing how to do your job properly: it's about excelling in your field!

So, while some skills may be a bit of a character trait, it's possible to work on yourself to develop your skills.

That's where training comes in. All salespeople are confronted with this issue at one time or another, so much so that continuous learning promotes professional success.

The company, for its part, has everything to gain from supporting these training projects. It can even deploy software for this purpose, and take its sales department to the next level.

So, ready to exceed all expectations 🤩 ?