Sales Enthusiasm – The Key to Sales Success
Guest post by Rhys Furner – Digital Strategy Manager, Reload Business Group
Recently LlewJury.com discussed the BBQ effect, whereby everyone within a business should be a salesperson who actively hunts down opportunities within their social circles. But why do some people have great success with sales, and others not?
This is a question that I am regularly asked. Is it x-factor, charisma, or the way in which you articulate? Yes these things can heavily impact your sales success however, I firmly believe that the number one attribute that makes a great salesperson is enthusiasm.
Just to be clear, I’m not talking about running from appointment to appointment or jiggling your knee up and down during a meeting.
Let me explain…
People often think that salespeople are simply born to be a salesperson. While this may be true, you don’t necessarily have to have the ‘gift of the gab’. I believe that great salespeople are simply more enthusiastic than mediocre salespeople. They have a clear purpose and enjoy probing into a potential client’s problem, collaborating with others to provide insights to the client, and then providing a solution that will solve the client’s problem.
It has been proposed that people, who feel they aren’t necessarily good at sales, approach sales in this way:
Challenge, action, success, enthusiasm.
However, good salespeople, approach sales in this way:
Challenge, enthusiasm, action, success.
Great salespeople aren’t enthusiastic because they solved a problem; they solve a problem because they are enthusiastic.
So what is enthusiasm?
Fortunately, enthusiasm can be developed by combining four simple elements that we all have:
Interest: It is impossible to be enthusiastic about something you’re not interested in and unless you know something about the subject, project or issue, you cannot develop that interest. This is something to really look out for when managing salespeople early on in their career.
Knowledge: Ignorance is bliss, particularly when you don’t care or have no desire to be enthusiastic. But when you do learn something new, you begin to understand its importance and your enthusiasm gathers speed. The more you know, the more enthusiastic you become because you can see more opportunities and provide more insights to potential clients. When managing salespeople, you need to constantly monitor your salespeople’s knowledge and ensure that they are continually learning about your industry, products, services and processes.
Belief: You must believe what you are saying. Enthusiasm is contagious. Your potential clients who are across the boardroom table will latch onto your enthusiasm.
Motivation: Motivation and enthusiasm come from within. Sure you can listen to a motivational speaker or do a team building session to get a momentary burst of enthusiasm, but the true test of enthusiasm is when the going gets tough. Great salespeople create personal reasons for why they absolutely must succeed. For instance, would you work harder to earn $200,000 this year, or to be an inspiration to your children or parents? To turn over $2million this year, or to show your gratitude to the people who put their time and belief in you? Great salespeople learn how to put this type of leverage on themselves day in day out to ensure they perform at their best.
Despite this simplistic appearance, selling isn’t easy. It involves many tasks that many people find highly stressful. From prospecting, networking, delivering presentations and proposals, and ‘closing’, just to name a few. Selling requires a huge amount of mental, emotional and physical energy and huge amounts of enthusiasm are required to get these things done.
One thing should be remembered – enthusiasm should not be mistaken for extroversion. Quiet people who are attentive but enthusiastic can be just as successful in sales roles.
The most deadly combination for a salesperson is enthusiasm, mixed with the ability to build rapport quickly with total strangers. This is a unique and enviable skill set that is very rare.
When hiring your next sales professional, put enthusiasm at the top of your list when deciding what candidate is right for your company. Subsequently, you will have a much more successful sales force.
“Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective.
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson