7 Secrets of Sales Success
By Joseph Berkery

What are the leadership qualities of top
salespeople?

Abraham Lincoln once asked, "How many legs
does a dog have if you call the tail a leg?" His
answer: "Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it
a leg.

Qualities that Impact Sales
There are qualities that have little to do with any
specific industry or organization and everything
to do with the way people think and act. Though
they are simple and seem obvious, it's alarming
how often salespeople forget these seven
qualities:

1. Confront Reality.
For many of us it is easier to wait for things to
improve than to admit they have gone wrong.
Psychologists call this pain avoidance and it is
extraordinary how strenuously we try to avoid an
admission of failure. One of the hardest things to
do is to recognize when something is not
working and accept the responsibility to change
or terminate it.

2. Focus on Your Strengths.
While there is a certain logic to investing your
resources in underperforming assets in hope you
can correct the problems and transform failures
into success, in most cases that only diverts
attention from more profitable operations. The
inability to focus on successful and profitable
activities is the primary cause of frustration, poor
performance and failure.

3. Accept the Inevitability of Change.
It takes courage to accept the inevitability, and
therefore the necessity, of change. When a
species fails to adapt, extinction is the result. In
business as in biology, the ability and willingness
to adapt for shifting circumstances is essential to
survival. Change is the most daunting challenge
a business will encounter as it offers the greatest
opportunity.

4. Be Passionate.
Attitude determines outcome. If you do not
believe what you are saying, it will show. If you
do not believe in your ability to meet your
customers' needs, they will know. That does not
mean being the best in the world at what you do.
It does mean being convinced that what you do
has real value. If you are not convinced, your
customer will not be either.

5. Be Consistent.
Like oxygen, consistency is one of those
qualities that is easier to recognize when it is
lacking. Nothing is more unsettling or disruptive
than erratic behavior. Consistency builds
confidence. It signifies reliability. It is the
foundation of positive relationships.

(Continued Below)

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6. Value Continuity.
There is an old paratrooper joke that you do not
need a parachute to skydive. You need just one
to skydive twice. In business, it takes experience
and know-how to do a job well and repeatedly
over time. A layer or two down the organization
chart are people with deep insight into your
company's most basic operations. Talk to them.
The foundation of a great company is the way it
taps that knowledge, develops its people, and
builds a strong bench of future managers and
leaders.

7. Replace Fear with Faith.
Fear is nothing more than the faith that things
will not work out. As self-fulfilling promises go,
fear creates a sure winner. When we operate
from a position of fear, that the product will fail,
the deal will not close, the competition will
triumph, we validate a belief in our own
inferiority. Faith is the belief in our ability to
succeed. It is the confidence to trust our intuition
and to act on it. The difference between a goal
and a fantasy is belief in its attainability. It is
possible to expect victory and be wrong. But it is
far more likely to believe you will lose and be
right.

No Guarantee of Success.
Following these seven steps will not necessarily
lead to sales success. They have to combined
with hard work, knowledge of the facts, the
willingness to take risks, and the capacity to
learn from mistakes.

Five Other Leadership Qualities Exhibited by
Sales Leaders
1. Confidence and Self Esteem.
They do not take no personally or allow it to
make them feel like a failure.

2. Acceptance of Responsibility for Results.
They do not blame the economy, the competition
or their company dips in closings. The worse
things are, the harder they work to turn negatives
to their advantage.

3. Above Average Ambition and Desire to
Succeed.
They set priorities on how they spend their time
on and off the job.

4. High Levels of Empathy.
They have the ability to put themselves in the
customer's shoes, pinpoint needs and concerns,
and respond accordingly.

5. Intense Goal Orientation.
They always know what they are going after and
how much progress they are making.

Source: Joseph Berkery is the CEO of Berkery
Associates, a full service investment bank
serving the Publishing, Media and
Communications Industries.
http://www.berkerynoyes.com

Ron's workshop was different and allowed better
understanding of cold calling techniques.
Jonathan S, Account Executive

I liked the live cold calls, structuring emails and
the fact that the workshop was quick to the point.
Joe L., Account Executive

It's definitely a learning experience  a good one.
It has been proven. Why work a different approach
when Ron's is more effective?
Linda L., Inside Sales

I enjoyed the inter-activity and group work. The live
cold calling really helped out with getting past the fear.
Alex C., Account Executive

Hope you found this informative, see you next time.

Until then. . .

Make it a great day and a successful week!

Ron

Member of the American Society for Training and Development (c) 2008 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc. - Live Cold Call Sales Training Workshops. All rights reserved. www.ast-incorp.com

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