The Top 5 tips for new salespeople

By Mark LaRosa on October 13th, 2009

Recently, I replied to a HARO request for the top 5 lessons for a new sales rep.  Happily, one of my items was selected for the article.  (Yes, the article is referring to an idea from me despite the fact that my name is massacred <grin> ).    The resulting list that author, Brandon Mendelson, compiled is actually quite good and I’m honored to be one of the items in his list.   I decided to post my entire top 5 here and provide links to my old articles that explain them in more detail:

1)      Nobody cares about your product:   Prospects care about their own problems – not your product.  The faster you find their problem (“their pain”) that you solve through your product, then the faster you will get to the sale.

2)      Embrace the word “NO”.  Don’t be afraid to ask for the deal.  Typical new salespeople let deals fester because they are afraid of hearing the word no.  I say, get to the no.  Then you find out the real reason for the objection – and eventually turn it into a yes by negotiating.

3)      Don’t worry about money:  The salesperson who is constantly thinking about money will lose more deals than he/she wins.  Worry about finding the right solution for your prospects, and the money will follow.

4)      Listen:  God gave you two ears and one mouth.  Listen twice as much as you speak and your prospect will tell you how to close the deal.

5)      There are no lost deals… only deals that didn’t close now.  If you take a deal that you lose, and ruin it, you will never get that deal.  Remember that your prospects may buy in the future – or move to different companies – and eventually buy.  Treat the people at lost deals with the same respect that you treat closed deals – even if they pick your competitor.  You never know when you may run into them again.