When you are in sales, you have the choice to be successful or unsuccessful. The only one to set limits on your income and success is you! A career in sales is a challenge. Use that challenge to motivate and excite you. Meet and beat that challenge!

There are five basic components to sales:

• prospecting

• making contacts

• qualification

• handling objections effectively

• closing

Do not fall into the "natural-born salesman" myth. A lot of people feel if they do not take to these components naturally they won't be able to at all. Forget this myth! You can learn to be a great salesperson - the choice is yours!

Sales is a learning experience. You need to be always learning and reviewing. A very effective method of learning is repetition. Write it, read it, speak it, hear it, and learn it !!

Characteristics of a successful salesperson:

1. Appearance - make the most of your unique individuality and walk into a room with pride and a commanding presence. Take pride in your selling career and in yourself.

2. Confidence - You need to "glow" with a sense of self-confidence. Even if you are not the best in sales YET, you can be. Let this feeling of confidence show through to everyone you talk to.

3. Overcoming fear - Know your fear so you can face it and overcome it! Once you do this, the confidence will shine through.

4. Enthusiasm - In sales, sometimes you will get the sale and sometimes not. That is to be expected. The trick is to stay enthusiastic even when you do not get the sale. Do not let it bring you down. Keep that enthusiasm going for the next prospect!

5. Desire - You have to have the desire to succeed. If you have the desire, you can overcome any obstacle and become a success!

6. Do not take rejection seriously - In sales, there will be rejections. Do not let these rejections cause you to doubt yourself. Let them make you stronger and more enthusiastic for the next sale.

7. Caring and warmth - You need to actually care about your prospect and feel right about closing the sale. DO not try to bully people into buying. Lead them smoothly into a closing that will benefit them.

8. Continuing education - You need to always be learning. Invest some time and money into your mind and learn how to be the best salesperson you can be!

Great salespeople are not born great. They have the desire to become great. They take the time and invest in themselves and learn how to become great!

© Terri Seymour