Found 0 posts
Working in sales can feel like the career equivalent of boot camp. It puts your mental toughness and endurance to the test, but if you’re brave enough to give it your all, working in sales can transform you from a career weakling to a business powerhouse. Whether you're interested in a sales career or not, taking a job in the sales industry build critical skills that are necessary for success whether you’re a recent graduate, trying for a big promotion, a small business owner, or a top executive.
1. Knocking on Doors…Literally and Figuratively
The scariest part of a job in sales is approaching people you don’t know and asking something of them. What if they slam the door in your face? What if they get mad? What if everyone you talk to says no? But succeeding in business is all about hearing no. You have to learn to deal with rejection if you ever hope to succeed in the real world. Working in sales is the perfect training ground for building that thick skin you need to apply for a job, ask for a promotion, close the deal, or solicit new clients.
2. Becoming a Master of Improvisation
Working in sales teaches you to think on your feet. You never know exactly what the customer might throw at you, and you have to learn how to listen and adapt to their objections and concerns on the fly. Entry level sales experience teaches you to be nimble minded and improves your public speaking skills, so you can help pitch a new idea to a team, respond to a real-time public relations crisis, or scramble for options when project funding falls through.
3. Relating to Others
In order to make the sale, you have to learn how to build rapport and find common ground with people you’ve never met before. The ability to understand where others are coming from and relate to them on their level is handy in almost any work scenario. Customers prefer to do business with people they like and they tend to trust people they relate to. This skill can help you in your job search too as you meet prospective employers and try to impress hiring managers.
4. Asking the Right Questions
Great salesmen know how to find peoples’ hot button issues. Not everyone will tell you what their objection is; sometimes you have to probe a bit and do some investigating to find what’s really holding them back. Being a good detective and understanding how to do research are sales skills that are critical to overcoming roadblocks and achieving success in business.
5. Highlighting Benefits
Whether you’re selling something door to door or selling yourself on a blind date, the fact remains the same, people want products, companies, and people who will make their lives better in some way. Learning how to appeal to people’s needs and wants is a powerful tool that can help any time you need to make a case for something, whether it’s donating to a great cause, investing in your feature film, or offering you the salary of your dreams.
6. Sounding Like an Expert
The best sales people understand that people want to buy from someone who knows what they’re talking about. But as important as it is to thoroughly know your product; it isn’t really what you say that matters, but how you say it. Being confident and sounding like you know what you’re talking about is the secret to building trust and gaining consensus. Work experience in sales is the perfect way to practice sounding like an expert, even when you’re not.
7. Talking Numbers
Negotiating makes a lot of people uncomfortable. We feel like we’re being impolite when we ask people to pay for something, especially when the price is higher than they’d prefer to pay. Working in sales forces you to face that fear, and learning to stand your ground at the negotiating table can help you finally get that big pay bump, large investment, or executive title you’ve wanted.
8. Capturing and Keeping Attention
To be a good sales representative, you have to know how to turn it on when you enter a room. Entertaining your audience and telling a good story is one of the most effective ways to build rapport and get the customer on board with your message. Learning how to engage others can be invaluable for public speaking, networking, or pitching ideas.
9. Earning Trust
People are naturally suspicious of strangers, and they’re especially suspicious of salespeople. That’s what makes earning a customer’s trust such an impressive feat. It’s also a powerful tool. People buy from people they trust. Learning how to convince others to put their faith in you has limitless benefits in business and in life.
10. Setting and Achieving Goals
The life of a sales person is all about setting targets and hitting them. You learn how to dig deep, stay self-motivated, and set challenging, yet achievable goals because achieving them can often mean the difference between having a great week and struggling to pay your rent. And strategizing how to meet them is key to succeeding at almost anything.
Sure, working in sales can be tough, but as anyone who has tried their hand as a sales rep will tell you, it’s also worth it. Sales experience hones indispensable career skills that can help you get ahead and overcome challenges for years to come.
Resilience is a skill that teaches you to transform obstacles into opportunities. It helps you to see one rejection as a small part of a bigger picture: your career. Here are four methods you can try to help you build resilience. Developing this trait is an ongoing process, but at Cydcor, we recognize its importance for both new and experienced salespeople.
Celebrate Your Gifts
Resilience takes practice. To develop a resilient personality, you need to celebrate your gifts. What are you good at doing? What activities or tasks do you do that earn praise? Write these moments down and refer to them when you’re facing a struggle.
Strengthen Your Networks
Reaching out to your network provides a fresh perspective when you’re trying to understand how to solve a problem. Your contacts can provide positive professional and personal feedback needed to strengthen your resilience. They can also encourage and inspire you to try again, which is what resilient people always do.
Do Something About It
A resilient person takes action when they encounter a problem. Don’t get lost in negativity. Examine your situation and find ways to improve your performance. For example, if your customers need more time to make a purchasing decision, come up with a few options that identify customers with similar purchasing cycles. This strategy allows you to focus on when people are ready to buy.
Take Care of Yourself
Resilience is easier to access when your body and mind are in top condition. Eat healthy food, exercise, get enough sleep, and stay hydrated. Take regular mental breaks during the day to reduce stress and strengthen your focus. Think of resilience as a muscle. You’ve got to train it and give it rest in order to build and maintain strength that will last you for the long haul.
Resilient people control their situations and depend on their skills, not luck, to move forward in their profession. They’re able to maintain steady progress on their career path even when they face obstacles along the way and develop strategies that help them to maintain a positive outlook.
What strategies do you use that show your resilience? Share your thoughts on Twitter and be sure to follow @Cydcor on Instagram to learn more about our company and our culture.
We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.
Mastering basic business skills will improve your confidence and give you a can-do attitude. Use these business skills hacks to kill it in your next performance review
Skills are the keys to opening doors in your career. Without them, you might never see progress or be able to make meaningful professional connections. Having the right skills for your field is an essential part of your professional development.
Different skills unlock different kinds of doors—the question is, which door are you trying to open?
People skills and soft skills—those that allow you to work effectively and harmoniously with others—are the foundation of business skills. Do you know how to adapt, analyze, collaborate, communicate, and manage your time and tasks? If so, you have the soft skills needed to master business skills.
If you want to make a memorable impression and get in the business of being the best, sharpen these skills:
Time Management
You’ll never get a chance to show off your business skills if you miss appointments and deadlines. Time management is an essential element in all business skills, especially in a fast-paced environment. Luckily, there are some great time management tools you can use to keep you on your game. The golden rule for time management is simple: always be on time, and never miss a deadline.
Organization
When you’re given an assignment, make sure that you understand exactly what the expected deliverable is. Use your organizational skills to put together a project plan. Ask questions. Use your analytical skills to identify potential problems and problem-solving skills to preemptively find solutions.
Communicate
You already have years of experience talking with friends, family, teachers, and supervisors, but business and corporate communication requires a more formal approach to messaging—whether it’s a text, a phone call, an email, or a face-to-face meeting. Make sure you understand the expectations for communication in your workplace.
Customer Service
It’s your job to provide your customers with the solutions and services they need. Always make time for your customer. If you don’t deal directly with customers, remember that every task you complete is an opportunity to strengthen—or weaken—your company’s connection with them.
Ongoing Education
Look for opportunities to learn more about your business and the business world. Attend workshops, classes, and seminars. Understanding current issues impacting the world and the world of business will improve your abilities and your authority as a trusted resource.
As your career develops, your business skills will grow and change. Mastering these business skills is an ongoing process. Keep and open mind and accept new opportunities to learn and you’ll soon master all of these business skills.
How do you develop your business skills? Please share your ideas in the comment area below. Don’t forget to share this article on Twitter and follow us @Cydcor.
We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada, to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.
TED Talks will improve your understanding of a complex concept or help you to master new skills. Humor, imagination, and authentic emotion energize these talks and guarantee your engagement.
TED wants to change your life. It’s that simple. This popular nonprofit was launched in 1984 as a conference exploring the convergence of Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED). TED Talks offer viewers a glimpse into the workings of some of the leading minds in the world today.
The problem with such a vast array of rich resources is that it makes tracking down the topics that will provide an immediate career benefit a bit more difficult. When you have the time, plan to take a tour of the TED Talks available online. You never know what insights you might find from a subject that has no direct connection to your industry.
When your time is limited and you’re looking for insights to improve your performance in business and sales, start with these 10 talks. Each speaker we’ve selected provides a powerful personal story and insights that will have a direct impact on your professional life.
Make yourself comfortable and prepare to open your mind. Your journey to excellence is about to begin.
1. The Puzzle of Motivation | Dan Pink
2. Five Ways To Kill Your Dreams | Bel Pesce
3. Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are | Amy Cuddy
4. Want to Help Someone? Shut Up and Listen! | Ernesto Sirolli
5. The Power Of Believing You Can Improve | Carol Dweck
6. Try Something New For 30 Days | Matt Cutts
7. How To Make Work-Life Balance Work | Nigel Marsh
8. Smart Failure for a Fast-Changing World | Eddie Obeng
9. The Key To Success? Grit. | Angela Lee Duckworth
10. What It Takes To Be A Great Leader | Roselinde Torres
Have you listened to a TED Talk or attended an event in person? Do you have a favorite speaker or subject? If you were going to give a TED Talk, what would you talk about? Please comment here, share your story on Twitter, and follow us @Cydcor. Invite your friends and colleagues to participate in this discussion; you might spark a TED Talk of your very own.
We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada, to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.