Is sales a teachable skill?

I once heard a story about a salesperson (we’ll call him, Paul) who, after a successful year smashing his targets, was ordered by his manager to take a two-week vacation. Paul settled into his seat on the aeroplane, opened up a magazine and prepared for a fortnight of rest and relaxation. Except…

He couldn’t help himself…

Paul struck up a conversation with the person next to him and discovered that they worked in similar industries. By the end of the flight they were firm friends and had exchanged contact details.

After returning to the office, Paul called up his new contact who shortly after became a customer. His manager joked that they should send Paul on vacation more often!

Paul is what most people would describe as a “born salesperson”. He makes it seem effortless. Whether he’s on the phone or in a face-to-face meeting, he easily establishes a rapport with the prospect, and as long as they’re in the market for his product, it seems like only a matter of time before they sign up.

But what does it mean to be a “born salesperson”?

And if the skills involved are innate, does that mean learning to be a great salesperson is impossible? Well, when we identify someone as being natural at sales what we’re really saying is that they have charisma.

That doesn’t mean they haven’t also worked hard at their techniques and strategies, but it comes more easily to them than most because they find it easy to engage and connect with people. We know that people like to buy from people they like and trust, so if a salesperson can win them over through their appealing personality, they have a natural advantage.

Is charisma something that can be taught or acquired?

To some degree, yes. We can all improve our social skills through practice and by developing abilities such as “active listening”*. But we need to be realistic and acknowledge that if we’re not naturally charismatic, there are limits to what we can develop through conscious effort. And we also need to be careful not to try to force these abilities. Charisma can’t be faked, and if we come across to the customer as false or insincere, it’ll turn they away.

However…

This is where Cialdini’s persuasion techniques can bridge the gap. Because his principles are powerful sales tools that CAN be taught and, crucially, don’t require natural charm to be effective. Here are three examples…

• Position Yourself as an Authority
  You don’t need to lead with this, but early in the conversation mention how long you’ve been working in your field and the ways in which you’ve managed to help people.
  
  Another way to position yourself as an expert is to ask searching questions that help you get to the heart of the prospect’s needs and pain points. Helping them uncover the true nature of their challenges (which may be quite different to what they’re assuming) will highlight you as someone who knows what they’re talking about and can be trusted.
  
• Common Ground Makes You Likeable
  Building rapport can be as simple as finding a shared interest or experience and then asking them about it. It could be a hobby, support of a local sports team, the fact that you both have young children, and so on. Whatever it is, ask them about it, and show genuine interest.
  
• Combine Commitment and Consistency
  If you’ve asked open-ended questions to establish the prospect’s needs and pain points, you are then well-placed to show them the features and benefits of your product that will be of most value to them. But it’s not enough to show them. Instead, at various intervals, ask them to identify the features that will be of most use to them and encourage them to explain how they’ll use them and how they’ll help solve their problems. Each time they verbally affirm how and why they’ll benefit from making the purchase, the easier it is to transition them into closing the sale.
  

If you’re a natural born salesperson, good for you. Make it count.

But if you’re not, don’t assume that being a great salesperson is out of reach.

Practise your craft and keep looking for ways to use Cialdini’s persuasion techniques to improve your connection with your prospects.

Until next time…
Wishing you health, wealth and a joyful life

Swadeck Taher OSK is a Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and a Chartered Marketer (CIM) running businesses and coaching, consulting, mentoring CEOs and entrepreneurs ranging from startups through family businesses to established top 100 companies in Mauritius. He enjoys sharing the expertise he developed over the last thirty years at senior leadership/directorship level with his clients, business partners and other budding entrepreneurs.

Swadeck is also a GTD Practitioner and a Certified GTD Trainer. He helps others experience what the Productive Experience feels like and how they too can savour stress free productivity.

Sakeenah Co Ltd is the only Certified International Partner of the David Allen Company in Mauritius.

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