Why confidence is essential in sales. Sales Executives of any class sometimes cannot avoid feeling afraid or worried about getting unpleasant treatment from potential buyers.
They worry about being seen as selling products half-forcedly, disturbing the peace of work at the office or rest time at home, being humiliated, and so on. If this happens continuously and cannot be overcome, it will develop into a personality lacking confidence (inferiority complex).
1. Overcoming worry
Worrying about getting an unpleasant attitude from potential buyers can be overcome in two ways.
- First, and easiest way is to ignore it, or realize that this unpleasant attitude may arise from the Sales Executives’ lack of intelligence in presenting themselves.
- Second, is to instill the belief that the task of visiting prospective buyers is a business task. Sales Executives is an honorable title and represents a respectable company as well.
The work of offering products to potential buyers and customers is a communication activity. In this business communication, Sales Executives convey various matters related to old or new products, while potential buyers or customers provide their responses.
2. Sales must have communication skills
. Therefore, every Sales Executive must try to have communication skills. To become a qualified communicator, they need to master two kinds of communication techniques, namely
- the skill of effective listening and
- the skill of effective speaking.
The notion that in every sales process Sales Executives should control all conversations, while consumers only listen to the explanations given and see demonstrations of product use has long been abandoned.
In the concept of selling products in modern times, Sales Executives are obliged to provide opportunities for prospective buyers to express their opinions, ask questions, give comments on demonstrations of product use and listen to the responses carefully.
Besides the two communication techniques mentioned above in his book “Simple Ways To Manage Your Service Customers” published by Think Inc. New Delhi, India, Promod Brata believes there are still two other communication techniques that every Sales Executives must master, namely
- effective writing skills (letters, reports, etc.) and effective
- reading skills.
Effective listening according to Promod is the most important position among the four communication techniques.Â
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According to him, the order of the roles of the four communication techniques mentioned above in their contribution to the success of communicating with potential buyers is as follows:
- Listening effectively 59%
- Speaking effectively 26%
- Writing effectively 9%
- Reading effectively 6%
