No matter your day-to-day experience or success level as a salesperson, there’s one task 
that never ends: improving your effectiveness. Sales people who let themselves stagnate and dead-end at merely ‘satisfactory’ eventually fall behind as sales methodology, technology, and customer expectations move onward. So how does a modern salesperson set about this task of self-improvement and achieve satisfactory, even exceptional results? These seven tips should set you on the right path:
Understanding Your Methods
A firm understanding of the methods you’re actually applying on a day-to-day basis lay at the core of any improvement effort. If you haven’t already, sit down and consider the steps which go into a successful sale, sparing no detail—the more information you can put to paper and view objectively, the more likely you’ll spot inefficiencies, potential improvements, and the potential to sell more. This type of outlining process also lends itself to teaching others to improve, or sharing with peers to pick up new tricks. Remember to review your process from the customer’s viewpoint, to avoid missing crucial details.
The Scientific Approach
Modern salespeople live in an era where they can access studies and research on the sales process from the most prestigious businesses and business schools in the world, with only minimal effort. It’s the melding of the art of sales and the science of sales which yields the most superior sales force, so embrace this new reality—when facts are available, do not rely upon gut feelings, but you also shouldn’t fear acting when faced with insufficient hard data. Temper your natural sales instincts with the scientific method, and reap the benefits of both.
Digital Proficiency
There’s a reason digitally proficient salespeople are becoming increasingly valuable to companies: they come to their jobs with an inherent tech proficiency and use all tools available. If you aren’t comfortable utilizing the latest CRM suites, collecting data and analyzing key performance metrics, engaging clients on blogs, mobile platforms and social networks, then its up to you to develop that proficiency. You can function in sales with a lack of understanding in the digital realm, but you will never truly excel—not to the degree you should.
Body Language
It doesn’t matter what your sales methodology or medium, body language still matters in the grand scheme. Maybe you sound more languid and unsure of yourself on a sales call, because your mind followed your body and you lost the sense of tension customers expect in your voice. And of course, video chat means that even if you never face a prospect in person, your body language might matter all the same. Learn to emote at will, use your hands and shoulders and posture to convey your message, and keep your attention on the client, not slides or monitors.
Stay Informed
In sales, you can’t be too informed. The better you understand your product, the industry around it, how customers use it off-label, the workarounds for its flaws, all the myriad details, the better positioned you are to sell. When a potential customer raises an issue, will you have a real answer, something you took from a script, or nothing at all?
Relationship Building
Modern sales is all about building relationships. A single negative customer relationship can turn into a blistering blog post, which goes viral and kills sales for an entire company. Similarly, a base of highly satisfied, personally-attached customers will keep your sales numbers flowing even when your products run into hiccups or fail to keep up with the competition. Follow-ups, a healthy sales methodology, and a general attention to customer satisfaction are key.
