Ten Selling Success Traits
There are certain “superstars” that outsell everyone else day after day, month after month and year after year. These superstars possess certain traits that can be applied by all salespeople. The following 10 Super Salespersonship Traits are embodied by all of them.

The Superstar Sellers are all:

Enthusiastic
Enthusiasm sells and you will sell more by being more enthusiastic about your product or service.

Honest
The best salespeople do not lie or exaggerate the truth. Honesty pays big dividends.

Focused
The “great ones” always remember why they are where they are. They keep mind and body “tuned in” to the purpose of their presence.

Positive
Successful salespeople expect success and they get it.

Goal-Oriented
Exceptional salespeople set hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. They know where they are going and they get there.

Disciplined
Outstanding salespeople don’t take short cuts. They follow the system. They are on time, every time, all of the time.

Reliable
Those that outsell the rest never miss a selling shift. They can be counted on to always attend sales meetings and sales classes. They keep getting better and better.

Clean
The best always look their best.

Healthy
Healthy people sell more because they feel better, look better, have more energy and miss fewer, if any, selling shifts.

Knowledgeable
Gaining knowledge requires time and study. Super salespeople invest that time and continue to study, even after they “know it all”.

For further details on how exactly how to integrate these Super Salesmanship Traits into your life, read chapter 13 of RETAIL SELLING MADE EASY.

It’s Easy!

Royalty
The Japanese people understand that the customer is king. They institutionalize that philosophy in the term, Okyakusama; meaning customer.
The title “Sama” in Japan represents a very high, even a God-like person. Every customer entering a store in Japan is GREETED. This is something that westerners can learn from, and keep in mind when selling to Japanese customers.
My father used to say, “The two rules of selling are, number one, the customer is always right, and number two, when that is not the case, refer to rule number one.”
While that is good advice when selling to anyone, it is crucial when selling to the Japanese.

Ask For the Money
Everyone has heard the old adage that when you “assume” you make an ass out of you and me. In most cases that’s true, but there are times in selling when you must assume the sale and ask for the money.
Once you have overcome any objections and are certain your customer wants what you are selling, do not “ASSUME” that he or she will whip out the credit card and say, “I’ll take it.” Simply ask, “Will that be cash or check?” Your customers will not be shocked to hear that they need to pay for it.

Plan Ahead
Shoppers tend to put things off, probably more because of fotgetfulness than anything else. 
Retailers miss a big opportunity by being reactive to shopper’s habits rather than proactive to their needs.
Mother’s Day is always bigger than Father’s Day for some reason, but dad does get some attention. Why not start now to think about dad this year? Father’s Day is always the on the 3rd Sunday of the month. There is a full month before Father’s Day. Start talking it up TODAY!

It’s a Special Day
I hope that you still have yours. If so, it’s about time to honor her, if not then to remember her. Most people have more than one mom in their life. People have mothers, grandmothers, spousal grandmothers, mothers in law, ex mothers in law, wives, mothers of husbands or wives, and even some mother friends.

Big Day
Mother’s Day is the biggest single gift giving day of the year. Like any other holiday, people tend to proscrastinate and put off their gift buying until the last minute.

Be a BIG Reminder
Help your customers remember that Mother’s Day is coming soon and encourage them to start buying now. Create a simple countdown sheet of some sort saying how many days are left to shop for Mother’s Day and update that number every day. It will keep this upcoming event in your mind as well as put it into the mind of your customer. Ask your customers, “How many mothers are there in your world?” Don’t wait for Mother’s Day Sales.

 REMINDER!

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
I have heard that quote attributed to so many people that I dare not say who first said it. I don’t think it needs a famous name to add credence to it. Everyone knows that it is true, but not everyone keeps it in mind at all times.
Work to be sure that the first impression you make is the one you want it to be. As unfair as it sounds, people will form an opinion about you within seconds after meeting you. All at once (or so it seems) they look you up and down, noticing your dress, jewelry, grooming, body language and facial expressions.

Would You Buy a Used Car From This Guy?
There is no profession where a solid first impression is more important than in sales. People will forgive the sloppy appearance of a new doctor faster than they will an unknown salesperson. The doctor’s credentials are framed on the wall, yours are not.

Pretty Woman
One of my favorite quotes was made by Julia Roberts; she said, “Even I don’t wake up looking like Julia Roberts.” Chances are that you don’t either. Put your best foot forward, a sincere smile on your face, and expect more success. When selling, you must not only think about the first impression that you are making, but also to be sure that your first impression of the customer does NOT influence your behavior. Speaking of Julia Roberts and first impressions, most people have seen the movie Pretty Woman, and recall the mistake made by the salesperson in that posh Beverly Hills boutique. If you missed it, CLICK HERE and enjoy it. If you saw it, enjoy it again.

Practice “Detective” Behavior
When customers say, “I need to think about it” or “I’ll be back” you have work to do. In Retail Selling Made Easy I say, “Take off your salesperson hat and put on your detective hat.” Until you know the true objection you cannot overcome it. If the truth is that it is too much, too big, too small or the wrong color, and the customer tells you that she needs to think about it, there’s nothing to think about. If you can get her to tell you that it’s “too much” for example, there are several things you may be able to do, like re-stablishing the value, financing, finding a different product or in some cases even reducing the price.
I was in a store today and saw a customer come in, go straight to a product, talk with the salesperson for a while, and then say, “I’ll be back” and leave. I questioned the salesperson about this and he told me that this customer has been in several times to look at the same thing, and he is sure he will come back and buy it. I said, “Not if he buys it somewhere else in the meantime.” Fortunately this salesperson is one that wants to be better and he asked, “What could I have said?” I explained to him that this is the hardest part of selling; the part where salespeople are separated from clerks and order takers. I suggested he say, “Okay, but SOMETIMES when people want to come back, it’s just the wrong one. It’s important to be sure, and since you keep coming back, something MIGHT NOT be right about it. Before you leave, tell me, what MIGHT NOT be right about this one?” Now just shut up and see what you hear. If there’s an objection you can overcome, do so; if the customer says, “No, it’s not that,” say, “So do you think it MIGHT BE the right one?” If the answer is, “Yes” say, “Let’s be sure” and then review the facts. If there’s no good reason to not get it, you can say, “It looks like this is the right one, I suggest you get it now and you won’t need to come back.”
This is admittedly uncomfortable at times, but it’s in the best interest of both you and the customer that you do it. As I said, this is where salespeople are separated from clerks and order takers. Very few people get in line at McDonald’s, ask a bunch of questions, and then say, “I need to think about it” and leave.

And Be Sensitive!
“There are times when silence has the loudest voice.”
-Leroy Brownlow
The two hardest things to teach salespeople are to speak up and to shut up. The bad ones don’t speak up and the good ones don’t shut up. When good salespeople learn the art and timing of silence, they become great salespeople.
When you shut up you gain the opportunity to discover how what you just said was received, and that’s more important than what you want to say next. If what you just said made the customer want to hear more, then it’s good to continue. If your last comment was not a welcome one, it’s good to know that, so you can change direction. Getting in synch with your customer is the single most important thing that you can do. And remember, the minute you try to sell me something that I don’t like, there’s something else that I don’t like. Get it?

When the Fun Stops
Too many times I see proven, experienced salespeople “lose it” for one reason or another. They drift into bad habits, adopt shortcuts and or bad attitudes. Once that happens they are better off moving along to someplace new. As much as we hate to have people quit and leave, it’s worse when they quit and stay.

Shiny
Just as often I see a “newbie” come on board and outsell the knowledgeable old pro. How can this be? My Dad told me, “The new broom sweeps clean.”
New salespeople bring some qualities to the team that the seasoned pro may have lost somewhere along the way.

-They still think everyone is going to buy; so they try.
-They still think they need to follow the rules, so they do.
-They still think they have a lot to learn, so they study.
-They still think they are working for a great company and they show it.
-They still think they need to follow the system, so they don’t take shortcuts.
-They still think their appearance is important, so they look their best.

When experienced salespeople maintain these qualities they are unbeateable.

Get a Decision
Everyone likes hearing “Yes.” Nobody likes hearing the word “No.” Rejection is painful, and most people will go to great lengths to avoid hearing it. People in nightclubs fear asking someone to dance, and consequently fail to get the dance. Salespeople avoid prospective customers that they fear won’t buy. They don’t get the sale. When you master the art of turning “No” into “No, not yet” you will get more dances and make more sales.

In retail stores, customers will say, “I’m just looking” merely to buy some time before dealing with the salesperson. If the salesperson hears that as, “No” nothing else is likely to happen. In outside sales, some customers say, “I’ll get back to you” when the reality is they do not intend to. When the salesperson accepts that, and say’s, Okay” the presentation (and the sale) is over.

It’s up to the salesperson to make the switch from, “No” to “No, not yet.” To do that means that you must be willing to hear, “No” if in fact that’s the truth. Pressing for a “Yes” when “No” is certain will turn the customer off to you. The secret is pretending that the customer said, “No, not yet” remove the pressure and then search for the real reason WHY it is not “Yes.”

Use what I call the “Okay but…” method to make this transition. Say something like, “Okay, but MAYBE this just isn’t the right one for you. What is it that MIGHT NOT be right?” You will be amazed at how many times you will hear the customer say, “Well, to tell you the truth…” Yes, buyers are liars. When you get the true objection out, you can many times overcome it with another size, a different item, or a lower price point. Don’t buy, “I’m just looking.” Everyone is looking, but not JUST looking. Don’t accept “I want to think about it” without finding out what it is that the customer really needs to think about. Be willing to hear, “No” and you will be surprised at how many times you will hear, “Yes.” It’s Easy!