Excerpts

Chapter One The "Born" Salesperson You've heard people say it. So have we: "That Mike--why he's a born salesman." "Wanda--Wow! She could sell an Alaskan a refrigerator!"     There are indeed people who are so good at sales that it just seems they have a special talent--a gift from God--that makes them so confident, so smooth, so easy with people, so facile with words, so competent and believable answering objections, so well, completely together, that they seem to validate the "Born Salesperson" belief with every move they make.     Guess what? There are born salespeople. Salespeople so good their companies wish they could clone them; so good their peers both envy them and believe in their heart of hearts that they could never emulate them. They are born all right--but not born of superior breeding or better genetic material or of parents determined to raise the world's greatest salesperson. No, they are born of the careful and painstaking work and study it takes to master the science of selling. Born of a determination to be the best, to make every opportunity count, to master every aspect of the most challenging person-to-person craft in the world--selling for a living.     These "born" salespeople come in both sexes, a variety of shades and sizes, every color and creed, and every conceivable combination of age and background. They are bright, average, and some more distinguished by tenacity than brilliance. They are well educated and not. They are introverts, extraverts, assertive, and shy. Their key commonality is their intense desire to succeed and their willingness to do whatever it takes to meet their goals.     Over the years, we have come to believe that there are some common everyday performance characteristics, skills, and developable attitudes and attributes that the "born" salesperson cultivates, develops, and hones. What follows is an inventory of twenty-one of these characteristics. Read through the list and decide whether it is a characteristic you exhibit or a habit you have developed, or a trait you possess. Decide "Yes" I have that trait or I have developed that habit or attitude or aptitude, or "No" I do not. Ok--we know that there can be a "middle ground" between "Yes" and "No." A place called "I'm working on it." Ignore that gray area and be a little hard on yourself--mark as a "No" those characteristics and skills you are working on but haven't mastered or fully developed to your own satisfaction. When you have worked through the list we will tell you how to score yourself. Take your time and think about each of the characteristics. Measure yourself honestly and carefully. No one but you will see your evaluation. There will be no grades, no winners, no losers. Just an opportunity to take a careful look at yourself and answer the question, "Am I on the road to becoming a Knock Your Socks Off Salesperson ? Do I want to be?" 21 Characteristics of the "Born" Salesperson [] [] I have good self-discipline. I can forgo a "good time" to do the work it takes to prepare a quality presentation to a prospect. The "scut work" doesn't put me off. [] [] I am self-motivated. I can keep myself involved and focused on a tough account. I can get myself "up" to do the tough things that pay off. [] [] I constantly work on becoming more knowledgeable. I allot time to learn more about my company's products, my customers' businesses, and developments in my industry. [] [] I continually work on my relationship building skills. I take courses and read books and articles on relationship building. I solicit feedback from others on my skill level. [] [] I am self-confident. I know that I can be a success at selling. I see a great future for myself. The skills I don't have, I can develop. [] [] I like myself. Hey, I am a pretty good person. I deserve to do well. I actually enjoy my own company! [] [] I love people. I enjoy the company of others. I really come alive in a group. I can get along well with almost anyone. [] [] I love a challenge. Face to face with a tough customer is really stimulating. So is trying to figure out exactly what will sell him on us. [] [] I love to win. Being the one who gets the order in a competitive situation. It pumps me up. [] [] I can accept rejection with a positive attitude. "No" and "we aren't interested" just mean I have to find a better way to tell my story. [] [] I can handle details. Crossing the T's and dotting the I's isn't my favorite thing, but I can get it done. I know that doing the details does make a difference. [] [] I am loyal. I stand up for my customers and for my company. It's particularly important for me to stick up for my customers. [] [] I am enthusiastic. I get a charge out of selling. I really like it, and it shows to my customers that I like what I do. [] [] I am observant. I can read my customers and my coworkers. I know when a presentation or an interview is going well. I can easily spot the signs. [] [] I am a good listener. I don't need to be the only one who talks. I know how to shut up and learn from my customers and my coworkers. [] [] I am a skillful communicator. I make persuasive presentations. I can keep people's attention when I talk. I'm good at back-and-forth conversations as well. [] [] I am a hard worker. I believe that hard work pays off, so I am willing to put in the hours. [] [] I am perceptive. I understand the subtleties of a situation. I can follow the drift of what is being said--and what is being left unsaid. [] [] I have put my goals in writing. I know exactly where I want to be next week, next month, and next year. And five years from now as well. [] [] I am persistent. I can take no for an answer, but I seldom do. An account that is worth having is worth keeping after. And I do. [] [] I want to be financially sound. Selling for a living is an opportunity to build financial security. I have a plan and I am working it. Now. Scoring Instructions Count up your yeses. Put the number here [] If you answered "Yes" to fifteen or more of these characteristics, you are on your way to becoming one of those "born" salespeople. If you said "Yes" to ten to fourteen characteristics, you are still in good shape. This is especially true if you said yes to the characteristics of enthusiasm, self-confidence, perception, self-motivation, and working to become more knowledgeable. If you said "Yes" to fewer than ten of these characteristics, particularly if you said "No" to the characteristics of enthusiasm, self-confidence, perception, self-motivation, and the enthusiasm for learning, you have a considerable journey in front of you. It is possible that you can become one of the "Born Salespeople," but it is more likely your talents lie in another direction. Notice something important about this list of success characteristics? It is a list of desires, basic aptitudes, and attitudes. It is not really a list of the technical skills of selling, skills like closing a sale or overcoming an objection. Those are skills that can be learned, learned by anyone who has the desire to succeed, a few basic aptitudes, and the fortitude and persistence necessary to acquire and use them. RULE #1: Successful selling is a learnable set of skills--for those with the fortitude, aptitude, and persistence to succeed. There are no other rules. Yes No Copyright © 1999 Jeffrey Gitomer and Performance Research Associates, Inc.. All rights reserved.