Salesmanship and professional selling are synonymous concepts. Professional selling is a communication between a customer and a sales associate that encompasses respect, trust and confidence in the exchange of information.
The sales presentation begins with an introduction – just 3-5 sentences to stimulate the interest and establish the discussion. It is an extremely crucial part of the presentation – one only gets one shot at making the first impression. Successful sales people don’t just sell products, they sell themselves. Since the customer and the sales associate each have one of four different personality types, it takes skill and talent to properly communicate. Salespeople must examine their personalities, determine their strengths and weaknesses, and learn to adapt to other personality types swiftly. Successful strategic selling requires determination and awareness of emotions which can interfere with the process. The pain of rejection and rewards of sales success are constant companions that require balance. The salesperson must be knowledgeable of his product, be determined, resourceful, and resolute. Ability to adapt to any situation, and lead a swift exchange of information is what distinguishes a great sales person from all the others.
Not every customer can be sold every time, a sincere professional effort is the only true way to maximize sales and provide most benefit to the customers and the sales associates alike.