The Key Sales Training Skills You Need To Increase Your Success in Business

A great product or service alone won’t be enough to save your business from the cutthroat competition in the business world. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says only a quarter of new companies make it to their 15^th anniversary. 

To float above the competition, businesses need to generate leads consistently, increase sales, and retain their customers.  This article will go over the essential skills you need to scale your business’ success. 

Digital sales skills

Top sales training programs emphasize how important it is to leverage digital tools. Figures by Statista show that close to 5 billion people worldwide use the internet. So, what better way to reel in customers than to cast your net wide on the digital platforms where people spend their time? 

Some of the leading digital tools to draw in more sales include:

Social media 

According to Orbelo, over 3.7 billion people are using social media across the globe. 

Do some research to find out the sites where your target audience is more likely to hang out, then create or revamp your social media profiles for those sites or apps. 

Once your profiles are up and running, compelling posts are the key to attracting a captive audience. You can engage a trained and experienced social media manager to help you build and maintain engagement. The right engagement strategy enables you to create trust and foster stronger relationships with your customers. 

Email 

Statistics from email marketing software company Constant Contact show that email marketing programs return $42 for every dollar you spend. To get your money’s worth, craft brief but valuable emails with powerful subject lines that move your prospects to respond. 

Remember to use straightforward, easy-to-follow calls to action (CTA). A confusing CTA can cause your prospects to bounce, regardless of how much your email content piques their interest. 

Your website

When you reach out to customers on social media or email, your aim is to direct them to your website. If your website isn’t up to par, your efforts likely won’t yield fruit. That’s why it’s crucial to have a well-designed and fully functional website. A conversion-friendly site is:

• Fast. Research by Amazon showed that for every improvement in site speed by 100 milliseconds, you get an extra 1% in revenue. Shopzilla also found that cutting down the page loading speed from 6 to 1.2 seconds results in a 12% revenue increase and 25% more views. 
• Attractive. Imagine if a physical storefront had broken windows, a falling roof, and stock in disarray. The chances of anyone walking into that store are slim to none. Similarly, if your website is unattractive and confusing, your customers will likely bounce soon after opening. Seek out a well-trained designer to help you set up an impressive-looking site. 
• User friendly. According to Intechnic, 70% of customers ditch a purchase as a result of a poor user interface. Polish up your user interface to give customers a ripple-free experience. 
• Mobile optimized. WebFX highlights that 52% of traffic to websites comes from mobile phones. If your site isn’t mobile friendly, you’re likely to be losing customers to your competitors.

Pitching skills 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 10 million companies in the USA. That’s 10 million companies all vying for custom, all with different sales approaches. As a result, the average American is inundated with online sales pitches on a daily basis. To stand out from the others, your pitch must be crafted well with the customer in mind. 

So how can you make your pitch stand out?

• Make it personal. Customers seldom care about the product’s features alone. Instead, people want to know how a product or service deals with issues that affect them. That’s why the best sales programs say it pays to personalize your pitch to speak directly to your customers’ wants and needs. 

Start by researching your customers so you can show how they stand to benefit from your offering. 

• Tell a story. A well-told story can tug at the heartstrings. An impactful story can create a connection that magnetizes customers and keep them engaged throughout your pitch. For the biggest impact, tailor a story to be highly relevant to your audience. For example, you can share before and after stories that illustrate how your product or service helped other customers. 

Time management 

Regardless of how well you master your sales training skills, if you struggle with time management, you’re likely to end up scrambling to make sales. 

Here are some techniques for maximizing every minute of your day:

• Planning. Use a calendar and to-do lists to set out your daily plans. You can arrange your tasks by order of priority. A clearly laid out plan helps you tackle one task at a time to avoid feelings of overwhelm. 
• Setting goals and deadlines. Goal settings and clear-cut deadlines help you to focus on priority tasks. You can also track your time and create routines to ensure you meet deadlines. Deadlines can also help make sure you complete unenjoyable tasks like prospecting that you’re more likely to bench.
• Pomodoro technique. This technique suggests working for 25-minute intervals. In between, you take five-minute breaks to keep your mind focused. This technique has been shown to increase productivity for many people. 
• Using software tools. Consider investing in project management and customer relationship management software to help you handle all your marketing and sales programs.  

Making your business a success

Train yourself to excel in digital marketing tools like social media and email to set your business apart from the competition. In addition, build an attractive site with an easy-to-use interface to keep customers on your site, from first click to checking out their cart. Once you establish a strong digital presence, make your sales pitches stand out and manage your time wisely to reach and convert more customers.