Are you the kind of person who has the ability of taking each “NO” in the right manner instead of just getting discouraged? If you know the tactics of talking to people and are self-confident, persuasive and know how to do business, then you can be really successful as a salesman. So, are you speculating about how to become a salesman? It’s simple! Just go and win the trust of your customer along with making maximum sales and leave an impression of your traits on the buyer. A salesman usually works as either an outside or inside sales rep and spends most of his time selling his wares or services. Having a good personality is an added advantage to the salesmanship as it creates an impression even before you strike-up a conversation with the customer. Demonstrate the product in a way that extracts interest. A good smile on your face, healthy communication and self-confidence are all what you need to become a salesman! Start from the grass-root level and shoot for the moon. A positive outlook can help you in moving ahead despite the refuting and rebuking that you might face.
Becoming A Salesman
Requirements
Eligibility
There are no eligibility criteria to become a salesman – you just need a 10+2 to qualify in most of the cases. The job does not demand degrees with a certain cut-off percentage as well. A salesman is just required to know good English rather than having a series of degrees. A welcoming personality, perseverance, good convincing power and knowledge about the products to be sold are all that one requires to become a successful salesman.
Courses Required
You must have a thorough knowledge about what you are selling so as to be more appealing to the customers. Be an expert of your product and you will prove to be a star salesman. You should also anticipate and be prepared for all types of customers as some people may be genuinely sweet-tempered while others might just get on to your wrong side. Patience is the keyword for an ambitious salesman. As far as additional qualifications go, you can take up various short-term certificates, courses and/or diplomas to add an edge to your resume and profile.
Skills Required
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Patience and perseverance
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Honesty
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Objection handling
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Negotiation skills
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Good spoken and written communication and listening abilities
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Pleasing personality
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Hardworking and efficiency
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Knowledge of the product and the basic psyche of customers
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Ability to work under stress at all times
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Agility to deal with the crazy travelling and long working hours
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Presence of mind
Roles And Responsibilities
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A salesman should be able to handle territory management well. Every salesman is assigned a specific territory and he should contact or visit current customers within his territory and introduce new ones.
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The salesman is often responsible for generating his own leads by accessing sources. He should increase unit sales and revenue in his territory, which is usually done by calling on new customers or cold calling to increase the overall customer base. It is essential for them to spend a lot of time in networking.
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A salesman is also required to make presentations to each customer before completing the sale. He may use catalogs, visuals aids and price lists. Thus, he should be well-versed in using MS PowerPoint or other presentation software.
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Understanding the requirement of the customer in depth is the main responsibility of a salesman and their career paths depend upon how efficiently they perform this role.
Career Prospects
Salesmen sell goods and services to individuals and other businesses, often by visiting customers at their places of work or home. Many sales jobs require no formal training, though technical selling requires postsecondary training in a related technical subject. More important are the ability to sell, good communication skills and familiarity with the product line. If the salesman follows these steps, then he has a bright future in the long run. In the initial stages, it calls for a lot of struggle but the traits that one picks up in the process are distinctly entrepreneurial in nature. Another fascinating fact about this profile is that it is recession-proof to quite an extent. Even when people in regular jobs struggle to float, this field flourishes, however, at a slower pace but flourishes and offers new jobs nonetheless.
A great attitude is an asset anywhere and sales in no exception. Any successful salesman will tell you that your attitude is quintessential in the highly competitive arena of sales.
