If you look closely at all of the major sales training programs and methodologies, as well as books on the subject of selling, you will see that many of them share common principles in certain areas (e.g. have a coach or a champion), and diverge in other areas (such as short vs. long sales cycles). John Asher of ASHER Strategies has done the careful research and has identified the ten skills – in order – that elite salespeople use when pursuing and closing prospects. They are:
- Focus on a few top prospects
- Thoroughly research prospects and their organizations prior to the first contact
- Use insiders (sometimes referred to as coaches or champions) to fully understand prospects and their requirements
- Sell themselves by building rapport
- Ask the right questions, listen, and guide the conversation
- Use powerful marketing messages to differentiate themselves from competitors
- Act as a business consultant and expertly handle objections
- Recognize when the buyer is ready to buy (buyer’s shift) and know how to close the sale
- Build long-term relationships with the new customers
- Ask for referrals
These skills and more are shared in John’s book “Close Deals Faster”, available on Amazon.com.
