zandax online course logo
 
 
 
 
zandax 10 year anniversary
 
 
 
 
 
 
Home   >  ZandaX Blogs   >  Business Blog   >  Sales Articles   > 
Personal Selling – Are your Salespeople a Good Fit?

Personal Selling – Are your Salespeople a Good Fit?

 
Being more effective in your sales career
Bad habits are a toxic aspect of salespeople and could alter their figures. Sales Training can maintain focus and better performances so figures rise.
 
Article author: John B
      Written by John B
       (3-minute read)
As one of the first year courses that I did at university, Personal Selling was a course that most of us hated. Almost everybody in the course would not have intended to be a salesperson but along with Marketing, Accounting and Economics, it was one of the full year courses that we had to complete.

In addition to the theory, there was a year-long practical sales element that had to be passed. The university had a contract with a company that provided a large range of products. You really had to sell these items, produce receipts, cash etc., and deliver the items to the client. As most of us were part-time students in the evening, we felt that we did not have time to sell like full-time students did.

Most people manipulated the system and ended up either buying the products themselves or selling to family. I spent a year with an open bowl of biltong and wors (dried meat and sausage) on my desk at work. The smell was too tempting to my colleagues and they bought the required amount that I needed to pass the course.

Sell Your Product

The one thing from that course that has stuck with me though was why some companies and their products require salespeople. Essentially, companies that produced high value but maybe low quantity or highly technical products normally require Personal Selling. Low value items like chocolate bars do not need somebody in the store in order to sell them because people will pick them up on their own and you just need a checkout clerk.

So, if your company has a sales team of any size, how often do you think about if your sales people are suited to what they do? Have you ever wondered why somebody that you employed had such a good track record at companies prior to working for you and interviewed brilliantly yet struggles to sell for your company?

Perhaps the answer lies here. The person might have been very good at selling a different product. As it was also high value, it might not have been as difficult to explain to others. The salesperson still has those basic skills that are required but is just missing a trick on explaining concisely enough what your widget does. Or maybe it's the reverse. The person comes from a highly technical product and is now struggling to sell your much simpler, but high value, product. Maybe they need to simplify their approach and focus on the exclusivity. Most men buying high value watches have other things on their minds than how the actual watch works inside. Leave that side out, focus on the image, branding etc., and you are back to winning ways. Sales Management therefore brings many benefits.

My point is that before despairing and giving up on the ‘failure' that you had hoped would be a ‘high flyer', maybe just relook at if it is something small that needs to be adjusted and can cause a big turnaround. That is why a lot of companies regularly put people through sales training. Even if they know it all, a small adjustment or refresher might be just what is needed to rejuvenate the person or get them out of bad habits.

Successful Sales Training and Sales Management is not about a gimmick and it's not going to let you in on a life secret that nobody else knows about. It is about getting rid of bad habits so that a person focuses again on what works for them, for your industry and for your product. That is what will make them successful again. It is also a lot cheaper than letting them go and having to recruit from scratch again.

More Articles on Sales

10 Ways to Train Yourself to Be a Great Salesperson
10 Ways to Train Yourself to Be a Great Salesperson
John B
Author: John B
About the article
Summary
Unlike a common misconception, good salespeople can be made, as well as born, so see the 10 tips ZandaX recommends to drive your progress.
[ close ]
Why Salespeople Need to Work Hard and Smart
Why Salespeople Need to Work Hard and Smart
Ashley Andrews
Author: Ashley Andrews
About the article
Summary
Why do we waste time and effort on tasks that won't produce a desired result? One reason stems from the mantra that all new salespeople are taught to work harder. For those trying to improve their sales, they are handed ...
[ close ]
7 Must-Have Communication Skills for Success in Sales
7 Must-Have Communication Skills for Success in Sales
Ashley Andrews
Author: Ashley Andrews
About the article
Summary
In sales, communication is everything. So here are our top 7 tips for improving your communication skills to ensure sales success.
[ close ]
10 Top Sales Techniques
10 Top Sales Techniques
John B
Author: John B
About the article
Summary
Looking for ways to improve your sales skills? Activia Training has collected the top 10 tips for effective sales that will help you close more deals.
[ close ]
6 Ways to Improve Your Sales
6 Ways to Improve Your Sales
John B
Author: John B
About the article
Summary
There is always room to improve as a salesperson, such as through Upselling. Sales Training has Basic Tips which can radically increase sales figures
[ close ]
9 Effective Sales Closing Techniques
9 Effective Sales Closing Techniques
John B
Author: John B
About the article
Summary
How to close a deal in sales! Here, we give you 9 sales closing techniques that will see you close more deals, and be a better salesperson.
[ close ]
The 5 Best Tips on How to Prepare for a Sales Call
The 5 Best Tips on How to Prepare for a Sales Call
Ashley Andrews
Author: Ashley Andrews
About the article
Summary
Sales calls can be tricky; but they don’t need to be. Having a consistent game plan for your sales calls can boost overall performance by as much as 50%. So, instead of winging your way to a “no”, here are five recommend ...
[ close ]
Why Do So Many People Fail In Sales?
Why Do So Many People Fail In Sales?
John B
Author: John B
About the article
Summary
A large number of people that attempt careers on the sales industry fail. This article looks at those reasons and how to succeed instead.
[ close ]
Why Driving the Numbers Will Increase Your Sales
Why Driving the Numbers Will Increase Your Sales
John B
Author: John B
About the article
Summary
Here are 7 specific types of figures that you should keep to help either improve your own or your team's sales. Add to your own KPIs for maximum effect.
[ close ]
10 Ways to Motivate A Flagging Sales Team
10 Ways to Motivate A Flagging Sales Team
Ashley Andrews
Author: Ashley Andrews
About the article
Summary
10 Great Tips on how to get your sales team remotivated and delivering the kind of performance that you would expect of them.
[ close ]
How to Sell in a B2B Environment
How to Sell in a B2B Environment
John B
Author: John B
About the article
Summary
There are real differences in selling to B2B (business) compared to B2C (consumers). This article looks at how to succeed in a business environment.
[ close ]
Can Animated Videos Help in Increasing The Sales of A Business?
Can Animated Videos Help in Increasing The Sales of A Business?
Ashley Andrews
Author: Ashley Andrews
About the article
Summary
[ close ]
 

Write for us on the ZandaX blog

We're always looking for guest contributors to increase the variety and diversity of what we present.

Click to see how you can write for us:

 

The ZandaX Business Skills blog categories

Click a panel to visit the main category pages for the blog
Career Success
Career Success
Sales
Sales
[ This category ]
Marketing
Marketing
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking
Customer Service
Customer Service
Microsoft Software
Microsoft Software

ZandaX Blog Contents

Want to see them all? Click to view a full list of articles in our blogs.

 
zandax online courses logo
"ZandaX courses are such great value, and with the help and support they give, there's no better option in the market"
ZandaX LinkedIn logo
ZandaX YouTube logo
ZandaX FaceBook logo
Course Categories
 
All content © ZandaX 2024