Believe it or not, if you want to know how to be the best salesperson, start by considering the traits of professionals who serve others.
When you ask somebody to think about the most helpful professions, they’ll probably say teachers, medical professionals, emergency responders, or clergy. Understandably so.
Salespeople… probably won’t be anybody’s answer.
But if you believe in what you sell, your priority is to help people—not close as many deals as possible. Sure, making money is great too, and someday making millions of dollars and becoming a famous brand ambassador or something wouldn’t be terrible.
Those things might even make it easier to help more people, which might be an aspect of your goals. There’s nothing wrong with including “sell more” as a reason for learning how to sell more effectively.
But for the individual prospect, it’s about helping them make their lives better with the product or service you sell. That’s why the H in Sherpa stands for Helpful.
Unfortunately, the world doesn’t always see it that way.
Stop acting like a salesperson and just talk to people
Due to a widespread ‘money-first’ sales culture, inadequate training, and wrong mindsets, people often distrust salespeople. They think they have only one goal in mind and one reason for doing what they do: making more money.
And for a lot of salespeople, that might be true. They take a job in sales because, well, they need a job and have to pay their bills. That’s life.
But if you’re not in that position, the “I just need to hit quota this month” fix, you can help change this viewpoint. Removing the need to hustle makes a good salesperson more comfortable in conversations, and they know how to sell without selling.
When I talk about improving conversations and uncovering your prospect’s pains and needs, sure, doing that will make closing deals easier. It’s more than that, though. It’s also about helping them make the best decision, even if saying no is the right one.
Maybe your product or service isn’t the right one for them. If you direct your motivation towards helping your prospect, being honest about that serves you better. Then you can point them in the right direction. This builds trust and creates a lasting relationship that can lead to referrals or a deal later down the line.
Before you try to sell them something, uncover what they really need
The most effective sales conversations take a holistic approach. You’re not just trying to get a yes or no. You’re trying to find the root of their problem, how they’d like it fixed, and how they hope it benefits them.
That’s how to be the best salesperson.
Take a doctor, for instance. You come to their clinic complaining of frequent headaches, and they only ask a couple of questions before prescribing pain meds. Okay, that might fix the problem, at least temporarily.
But wouldn’t it be better to know what is causing these headaches and how to avoid them in the future? That’s what I’d want to know.
So then you go to a different doctor. They sit down and talk to you before they do any tests. They ask about nutrition and hydration, exercise, stress levels, etc. Then they go through possible preventative measures like increasing your water intake, meditation, earplugs for noise reduction, and so on.
That second doctor is trying to get to the root of the problem. They don’t just want to give you a bandaid; they want to remove the problem for good.
You tell me, which doctor will you go to the next time you have a problem?
If you genuinely want to learn how to be the best salesperson, you have to actually help your prospects. When they can feel that, they’ll trust you to guide them toward the right solutions for their needs.
Slow down and take your time so that you don’t seem pushy
As always, though, you have to be careful.
For those of us who are eager to help, especially when we know we can, that eagerness can come across the wrong way to our prospects.
We might respond too excitedly to their complaints about what’s going wrong. We might phrase something a little too strongly. When we do, it takes us out of the conversation, and that’s when we lose focus.
These seemingly small mistakes can lead your prospect to believe you’re just trying to close the deal. They feel like another box to be checked, another dollar in your bank account. That’s when you lose them.
All because your eagerness to help was misinterpreted.
Even the best sales reps can be too eager occasionally, but they typically know how to pull back and carry on the conversation.
If you’re genuine in how you talk to them, ask the right questions, and keep your focus on them (not you!), you can hopefully avoid those mistakes.
How to Be the Best Salesperson by Being a Helper
More than anything, it’s about your mindset and desire to help other people, whether by increasing their business through a new website, helping them save money with a new phone plan, or getting them into their new home.
No matter how big or small the thing you sell is, if your goal is to improve people’s lives with it, then you’re part of a noble and helpful profession. And you’re already a considerable step above the rest in figuring out how to be the best salesperson you can be.
Would you like to learn more about learning how to be the best salesperson?
Find out what being a Sales Sherpa means and how this sales method can help you improve all of your relationships.
One of the most essential characteristics of successful salespeople is Empathy.
Another trait that makes a sales rep successful is being Resolute.
P represents Practiced since learning to do anything takes practice, including becoming a successful sales rep.
The last letter in SHERPA stands for Accepting because it’s one of the most valuable traits a successful salesperson can have.
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