What Buyers Like About Salespeople

Last week, we talked about the qualities of salespeople that you
should hire. For this issue, we shall go into what your buyers
"hoped" the salespeople they meet to be.

Well, of course, we all have our "hopes" on what a salesperson
should be; however, this article would specially be useful to the
organization's training and development of sales personnel...
which inevitably benefits the company.

Here are the Ten (10) things that Buyers Like.

HONESTY. Who would want to deal with somebody who is
dishonest? Nobody, not even fellow dishonest people. Honesty
is a pillar in one's credibility and specially in dealings involving
money.

LOSES GRACEFULLY. This happens when products are pitted
against each other... that when features are compared or when
some sort of contest is held and the salesperson loses, he loses
gracefully.

ADMITS MISTAKES. This is quite similar to the previous "like"
we just tackled; however, in this case, it may not be the pitting of
products but the unperceived shortcomings on the part of the
salesperson himself... which he admits and resolves to make up
for.

ADEPT AT PROBLEM SOLVING. We are not in a perfect
world, hence, problems arise in every area even on what is
thought to be a perfect product. Being with or in this case, dealing
with a salesperson who is good in problem-solving will give you
that peace that everything will be fine.

FRIENDLY BUT PROFESSIONAL. Being friendly makes the
person you interact with at ease. It makes the person open up
more which is good for the salesperson as he could get an honest,
first-hand feedback for the products he carry. However, this
friendliness should not trample upon professionalism, after all
the salesperson represents the company and it's ideals.

DEPENDABILITY. One way to show this is "you walk the talk"
or do everything reasonable for customer satisfaction. If the
product needs needs repair then do not delay, if it needs
replacement then replace. And of course, never be late for
appointments if you can help it, otherwise, inform.

ADAPTABILITY. Whenever we hear this, it specifically
pertains to the environment that one is in or could be in. He
should be able to adjust to the nuances and all of this
environment including the customer's attitude and his
environment's physical make up, like what's available and
what's not.

KNOWLEDGE OF BUSINESS. Certainly, customers would
not want to deal with people who does not know what they are
talking about. As a salesperson, he should understand the
existence of his company and specially the line of his work
including the products, of course.

PREPAREDNESS. Would you go to war without a gun? Or
without whatever device that could give you victory? Yet, going
to war is not just about having a gun, it's about having a plan
and all the necessary things to win specially if it's going to be a
protracted one. Same goes with business, with sales... you have
to learn to anticipate the needs before they come.

PATIENCE. As a salesperson, your products is not only your
business. And to get that order, you have to consider your
customer's behaviour and situation. You got to develop empathy,
flexibility, and patience to nurture customer loyalty. As the
saying goes, "good things come to those who wait."

"Render more service than that for which you are paid and
you will soon be paid for more than you render. The law of
increasing returns takes care of this." - THE LAW OF SUCCESS

Take note...
"It's not really what you say, but how you say it that gets the attention."