The secret of the best salespeople? Mastering 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, the ones you absolutely must master if you want to perform well 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 bonus 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 convey sympathy (hence the importance of non-verbal communication), it's important to always express yourself clearly and find the right words to inspire confidence. Because without that confidence, it's impossible to convince the person you're talking to.

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

💡 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 making your business a success 🚀.

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

💡 As well as getting to know what your customer wants 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 when talking to a sales assistant in a shop who seemed to "freewheel" when asked questions?

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

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

Thanks to these skills, you can :

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

There are ways of developing this product knowledge, starting with training. But, if possible, why not try out the merchandise yourself? There's nothing like 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 this!). In particular, take an interest in emerging trends, what's new in the market and what competitors are doing.

#4 Active listening

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

But what is active listening?

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

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

• remain silent and do not interrupt the customer who is speaking, while remaining active to show your attention (nodding your head, for example) ;
• ask questions to make sure you've understood correctly;
• go deeper into what the other person is saying to better understand the need and anticipate objections.

# 5 Adaptability

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

This skill goes hand in hand with the ability to learn, which is essential if you are to keep up with developments in your sector.

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

• learn to use computer software;
• and then integrate them into their day-to-day processes.

# 6 Negotiation

Acquiring a new customer, or getting an old one to re-sign, often involves skilful negotiation, particularly 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 to you, don't panic, everything can be prepared! Here are a few tips:

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

#7 Surpassing yourself

The ability to surpass oneself, fuelled by the setting of sales objectives, is the very essence of any 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 excitement, but also achievable so as not to discourage the teams.

#8 Presentation skills

If they want to capture the interest of their audience (customers, employees, management, partners, etc.), salespeople have every interest in excelling in their presentations, whether oral or written.

It is therefore important to take care with the way you speak and your posture, so that your speech is both impactful and persuasive. We also advise you to use visuals to support your words, such as PDFs, PowerPoint, etc.

💡 The ability to present well differs from the ability to communicate well mentioned above. While the two concepts are similar :

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

# 9 Curiosity

Curiosity is an invaluable professional skill, and the world of business is no exception.

By being curious, and therefore keeping yourself informed on a regular basis, you gain a better understanding of how to behave in a market which, as we have seen, is constantly evolving. For example, you can keep abreast of :

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

💡 All this information, gathered on an ongoing basis, forms a solid knowledge base, useful for enhancing your offering or coming up with new business ideas.

# 10 Resilience

The life of a salesperson is made up of highs... but also of lows. Difficult customers, various rejections or a drop in sales come to mind. In short, there are many circumstances that can sap your morale!

☝️ So you need to develop resilience, the ability to bounce back from setbacks and other stressful situations. In other words, bouncing back from rejection or bad news is essential if you are to maintain 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 sales outlet or online, in BtoC or BtoB.

It's up to you to adapt to the pace of your customers, not the other way round, 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-term partnership, a source of real profit for your organisation.

#12 Organisational skills

In a shop or behind a desk, a salesperson often has several tasks at the same time. For example, in addition to sales, BtoB teams manage a whole range of administrative tasks (contracts in particular). In a physical sales outlet, they generally have to deal with stock, shelving, checkouts, etc.

As a result, it's best to prioritise your activities intelligently and coordinate perfectly with your colleagues. What's more, it's advisable to give sales staff at least some training in project management.

👉 Thanks to your sense of organisation, not only will you maintain your efficiency, but you'll 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 within fairly tight deadlines (they have to meet the month's targets on time!). Hence the importance of good time management.

So it's vital to know how to plan future actions wisely and organise your schedule accordingly.

💡 Rely on technology! For example, CRM software is capable of automating many activities, such as updating contact information, tracking interactions or even drawing up dashboards. Freed from these tasks, sales staff 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 the 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 an integral part of salespeople's lives. These frictions arise with customers, but also with other employees.

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

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

• keeping calm and avoiding overly 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

As a salesperson, you have an obligation to achieve results and to set 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 the relationship with your customers (diminished listening skills, for example).

💡 Learning to manage stress means :

• becoming aware of the factors 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 general rule, salespeople work as part of a team. And contrary to popular belief, to achieve the organisation's overall objectives, it's best not to (always) go it alone.

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

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

In the end, team spirit means that challenges can be resolved more quickly, and the performance of the company as a whole improves as a result.

# 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 strongly advise you to keep going to professional events. These are golden opportunities to develop relationships directly with potential customers, but also to interact with other players in the sector, and thus strengthen your credibility in your field.

#19 Mastering technological tools

The sales profession, like any other, is becoming increasingly digital. And an employee who has difficulty with technology, or is even resistant to it, often delays the process and ends up putting the brakes on the smooth running of the business.

💡 We can only recommend that sales staff learn to master the software or applications in place in their organisation to perfection. For example, chances are you use a CRM to centralise customer information and optimise your sales operations.

And physical points of sale are no slouches when it comes to technology! Sales staff increasingly need to familiarise themselves with devices such as cash register software.

#20 Customer follow-up

Finally, we often hear it said, but acquiring a new customer costs a business a lot more than retaining an existing one.

In other words, capitalise 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 ideas:

• continue to take an interest in your customers, by checking up 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 comments into consideration.

How can you improve your sales skills? Our 3 tips

You now 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 any other apprenticeship structure?

Well, you're not done with training, which is essential for developing technical sales skills, or even soft skills, throughout your career.

Although it's up to each salesperson to continue to progress on their own, training can also be supported by companies. Many of them use training organisations, for example, to deliver courses to their employees.

💡 Some organisations also use software specifically developed for this purpose. One example is Seismic, a "sales enablement" platform deployed to help teams maximise their performance. In particular, it includes a training and coaching module, which supports sales staff as they develop their skills, using interactive courses, role-playing and training sessions. The content and pace can, of course, 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 consumers as often as possible. It's a good way of identifying 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 then activate concrete levers for improvement. In other words, there's absolutely no point in collecting feedback for the sake of collecting feedback.

Tip 3: Conduct regular research

As you will have realised, if you want 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 regularly consult :

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

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What should I remember about the skills of a good salesperson?

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

So if, sometimes, certain skills are 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 faced with this at one time or another, because continuous learning is so important to professional success.

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

So, are you ready to exceed all expectations 🤩?