How to Become a Top Sales Consultant
Success doesn’t usually happen overnight. Although we know this to be true, it can be challenging to nail down an actionable plan that will launch us to the top of our career. Many of us have solid career goals in mind; titles we see ourselves advancing to or accomplishments we are working towards, but there is often a disconnect in where we are and where we want to be.
Here are a few crucial tools that will help you perform like a top sales consultant:
APQ (Advanced Personality Questionnaire)
This tool allows you to analyze your personality on a deeper level. The best sales consultants are most likely extremely self-aware individuals. Self-awareness allows sales professionals to operate with empathetic communication and deep understanding. Sales is about connecting with others—and knowing your true strengths and weaknesses is the foundation for effective communication.
The APQ can also help managers throughout the hiring process by helping them to identify individuals with traits associated with top performance in a sales career.
Sales Training
The second tool worth mentioning is sales training—which aligns (or realigns) sales professionals with the best practices for high levels of selling. Sales training is a never-ending learning tool—there will always be updates related to industry trends and new technologies that are important to stay informed about.
Training salespeople has a proven effect on their careers.
Companies who have had their salespeople trained by ASHER facilitators have experienced an average of:
- 17% increase in sales from acquisition of new customers
- 45% reduction in sales cycle time
- 22% increase in sales of high-margin, add-on business to current customers
Coaching
It is important for sales managers to coach their employees in a way that encourages growth. Having them participate in training and take the APQ assessment is part of this but designing coaching strategies for each individual is also crucial. The ladder of success is not the same for everyone. As a coach/ mentor, it is important to embrace those differences and help your sales staff improve their performance in the way that is best for them and for the company success.
Simultaneously, sales consultants should be receptive to coaching. According to a recent LinkedIn article, a key characteristic of top sales performers is that they, “love to learn and are open to feedback” (Thomas, 2021). Coaching can only go so far when someone is resistant to outside opinions. Someone who is coachable and appreciates feedback as an opportunity to learn emanates the qualities of a top sales consultant. It is important for the coach to allow ample space for the salesperson to learn from their mistakes. When “reps struggle, coaches should course correct and help them see what to do differently” (Thomas, 2021) to facilitate that growth mindset.
Continuous Growth
Top sales consultants need to expect to actively work towards growth. So, envision the accolades and picture your success, and don’t forget what the research and the experts advise: APQ, sales training, and proper coaching can push you to the top.
Even for those who have reached high levels of selling at some point in their careers, these tools are still very beneficial. Growth cannot be continuously achieved without constant learning, and there is always something new to learn about ourselves or the profession of sales.
Thomas, J. (2021, May 20). 7 winning sales habits of top performers. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/business/sales/blog/strategy/seven-winning-sales-habits-of-top-performers
