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HOME » NEWSLETTER & ARTICLES » NEWSLETTERS & ARTICLES ARCHIVE » What Does it take to be a Top Performer? Sales Tips and Tools Newsletter, July 2006
What Does It Take To Be a Top Sales Performer?
by Bill McCormick
 Think of someone you know who is one of the top sales performers at your company. For example, think of the person who regularly achieves top sales dollars in their region or the person who consistently brings in the highest amount of new business. What does this person do well? What distinguishes this person from the average sales representative?
More importantly, what can you do to upgrade your selling skills to ensure that you reach and maintain this level of sales excellence? A simple way to develop your skills would be to emulate what the top performers at your company already do well. A more comprehensive approach is outlined in the rest of this article.
Patterns of Sales Excellence
Studies show that successful sales performers differentiate themselves through certain skills, knowledge, and other attributes. Patterns of sales excellence are distinguishable, as noted in Discover Your Sales Strengths, by Benson and Rutigliano. We recommend this outstanding book as an addition to your business library for salespeople and sales managers.
Benson’s and Rutigliano’s research identified that top sales performers set themselves apart by their ability to…
- Build relationships
- Impact others to say "YES"
- Uncover and solve customer needs
STAR Survey with Sales Managers
During our Coaching for Sales Success workshop, sales managers are asked to identify the characteristics of their top performing salespeople. A consolidated list of the top characteristics sighted by managers highlights four differentiating abilities. Sales managers believe that their top sales performers set themselves apart by...
- Asking great questions
- Listening and conveying interest and empathy
- Building relationships with higher level decision makers
- Communicating their value proposition and quantifying it whenever possible.
Notice the similarities between this list and the items mentioned earlier from Discover Your Sales Strengths.
Self-Improvement Plan
If you want to excel in sales, assess yourself against all of the above items and then do the following:
First, make your strengths even stronger! You’ll actually get quicker and more immediate results if you focus on this action step first. For example, suppose that you are naturally skilled at asking great questions that help you uncover and solve customer needs. Don’t assume that other salespeople are as skillful as you. Sharpen this skill even further to set yourself apart from average sellers. For example, during your upcoming sales calls, ask one or two additional questions, especially the type that we identify as either “Dissatisfaction” Questions or “List Options” Questions from STAR’s sophisticated IDEAL Questioning model.
Second, select one item from the above list that would be your personal area for improvement. Since it takes longer to convert a weakness into a strength, you'll want to develop a long-term action plan. By establishing a long-term plan you shouldn’t become discouraged if you aren’t immediately proficient at that particular skill.
For example, quantifying value in our experience is the least utilized skill in the list above. Suppose that you select this as an area for improvement. Your initial action might be to attend a workshop or do some reading and research on the topic to help you plan for how you will communicate and quantify your value proposition. Next, if your manager or a colleague is proficient at this skill, you might go on a joint sales call with them or use them as a sounding board for one of your sales calls. Surprisingly, the act of planning and practicing the skill of communicating and quantifying your value proposition is not all that commonplace. If you take the time to plan and practice the skills of Top Performers listed above you will see improvement and results!
Where Do You Go From Here?
Please visit us our Workshops page to learn more. If you have a question or want to discuss the subject of sales excellence in more detail, please call or send us an email.
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