5 WAYS TO BUILD INTERPERSONAL SKILLS IN SALES

Sales is all about connecting with different types of people.

Whether that's people:

• In different industries

• With different professional backgrounds

• With different interests

• With different ways of communicating

And as a salesperson, it's your job to be able to build rapport with all of them. 

No matter how much you nail your generic approach and understanding of the product/ service, you must tailor your conversations to connect with people on an individual basis. People have different needs and different ways they prefer to communicate, and if you want to not only make a sale but build a long-term relationship, you have to prioritise understanding them.

Here are 5 ways to improve your interpersonal skills and create better relationships as a salesperson.

Active Listening

Sales is not just about talking.

You can have ultimate confidence in all you're selling and think you're fully prepared when going on a sales call, but you still don't get very far. 

Why?

Because you've only thought about what you'll bring to the table rather than how listening to the other person will help position your pitch.

The reality is, you can never be fully prepared for a sales call, but instead, you can listen carefully. Understand their needs, concerns, and preferences. This will help you tailor your approach and your language, and offer solutions that meet their needs.

There's nothing worse than assuming what someone's needs are based on a misunderstanding of what they've said or research you've done. You want to listen with purpose and in fact, studies show that this reduces misunderstanding by 60% (Gitnux).

A potential customer is far more likely to buy into your product and build a long-term relationship if they feel listened to and understood.

Empathy

If you want to be known for your interpersonal skills, you have to build empathy.

Try to put yourself in your customers' shoes and understand their points of view. This will help you connect with them on a deeper level and build trust.

This is one key component of emotional intelligence, and without it, you may struggle to respond appropriately in different situations, and evidently, build relationships that result in sales.

But empathy is all about putting yourself in other people's shoes. Stereotypically, sales is all about going straight to the sales pitch without truly understanding where the person is at.

Whether that's to do with:

• Their future business plans

• Other products/ services they've tried in the past

• Any concerns they have

And when you do understand - don't just go into pitching either. Showing empathy builds an extra layer in your conversation. It shows you have patience and that you truly care about their situation and want to help. 

A salesperson isn't just supposed to provide the product, they're supposed to show through empathy why they think the product will solve the problem.

Self-awareness

This is another component of emotional intelligence. And before you think you've got this nailed, we're here to tell you that nearly everyone (95%) thinks of themselves as self-aware, but only 15% of people actually are (Forbes).

In a nutshell, self-awareness is about being aware of your behaviours, emotions, and actions. This is being able to understand the impact of your words and how others perceive you which is crucial in any sales role.

Developing this develops your patience and thoughtfulness in conversations you have with potential and ongoing clients. You'll be able to respond appropriately and build trust because you're reliable and mature in your approach.

Communication

This may sound obvious. For any salesperson, communication comes naturally and there's nothing else to work on, right? Wrong.

Communication isn't just about talking and listening, it's about:

• CLARITY - whether this is following up with an email or summarising the next steps so both parties are in the know

• HONESTY - under-promising or overdelivering can both lead to ruined relationships, as well as withholding information

• PREPARATION - preparing for a meeting, presentation, or just doing thorough research on a sales pitch can make a huge impact

All these things will set you apart and make it far easier for someone to trust your intentions and abilities. 

Be personable

What's a relationship without personality?

Being authentic and building relationships with yes, professionalism, but humanism is what will turn your contacts into relationships. 

Have real conversations, be relatable, and be yourself.

- Written by Shannon Matthews

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