Are You a Born Salesperson?

Some people are just born to sell. Sales requires a number of skills, including the ability to build rapport with strangers, persuade people to see your point of view and overcome objections. Are you a born salesperson, or do you need to brush up on your sales skills before pursuing a sales career? It's time to find out.

A good salesperson finds it easy to build rapport with potential customers. Building rapport means quickly establishing a personal connection and creating a sense of trust, which are the first steps in a successful sales process.

If you are a born salesperson, starting conversations with strangers comes naturally. In school, for example, a born salesperson naturally befriends new kids and welcomes them into the classroom. As a child, you may have found it easy to start conversations with people at summer camp, after a movie or anytime you found yourself in an environment with strangers.

The second skill a salesperson needs is the ability to persuade. Without good persuasion skills, you cannot convince people that your product is superior to similar ones or that your product is the best solution to their problems.

If you are a born salesperson, you find it easy to persuade others. You can quickly convince your friends to try new restaurants or persuade family members to follow the vacation plan of your choice. You do not manipulate others. The art of persuasion comes naturally to you because you understand how to use sound reasoning to convince others to take the actions you want them to take.

A good salesperson must also learn to overcome objections. Customers often give reasons why they do not want to buy a product. It is your job to overcome each objection by explaining exactly why they need your product. You must also be prepared to handle rejections and move on if a customer ultimately chooses not to buy.

If you are a born salesperson, you likely do not worry about objections or rejections. When people object to your ideas, you do not take it personally. Instead, you offer suggestions that the person might not have considered and work to overcome those objections. If the person still ends up rejecting your idea, you move on quickly.

Some born salespeople are natural entrepreneurs. These are the kids who decide to sell their extra cookies at lunch or eventually start their own small businesses in college. However, you do not need to be an entrepreneur to be good at sales. Some born salespeople want to sell products and run a business; others are happy to sell for an established company.

If you are a born salesperson, congratulations! You have the skills necessary to make a successful career in sales. If you do not consider yourself a born salesperson, do not worry; sales skills are easy to learn. With enough practice, you can become just as good at selling products as the people who feel they were born to do it.

(Photo courtesy of adamr / freedigitalphotos.net)