7 Ways To Sharpen Your Sales Game

Listen, nobody popped out of the womb and naturally started slaying sales. Ok, MAYBE Big Tom Callahan of Callahan Auto Parts from Sandusky Ohio. Maybe. I mean, He was rumored to be able to sell "a ketchup popsicle to a woman wearing white gloves", but let's be honest, brake pads and insurance are two different beasts and none of us are Brian Dennehy.

Simply put, even the best personality will only get you so far. You can't rely on it since some people are sold in different ways. If you want to be a top-notch salesperson, it takes time and practice. We've put together 7 easy hacks for keeping your sales skills sharp and your deals closing on the reg.  

1. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Like, DUH. We know this is pretty standard. We've been told this since we were whiffing at the ball on the tee at tee ball. It's standard, but here's the question - ARE YOU DOING IT? Probably not. You're likely to rehearse your pitches in your head and go over them at your desk, but if you want to land the big role, you need to bring your most polished presentation to the audition. Set aside time to do a live practice session before each pitch. Every client is different and you'll want to make sure you're appealing to each person in a new way.

2. MIRROR, MIRROR...
Yes, we know it's weird. Standing in front of a mirror and talking to yourself feels a little Hannibal Lecter-y, but it can make you a more self-aware salesperson. Watching yourself do your own live sales pitch can clue you into facial expressions, body language and even parts of your script that could be adjusted to make your pitch stronger overall. You're seeing what your clients are seeing and that doesn't ever hurt. 

3. KNOW YOUR ENEMIES
Ok, enemies is dramatic. Know your COMPETITION. Get eyes on the people around you who are out there TRYING to do what you do. How are they doing it? Who are they selling to and why are they getting that business instead of you? This is invaluable information that could transform your sales strategy. It's not to be ignored.

4. WHO IS WINNING AT SELLING
It's vital to be yourself when selling. People want to deal with an authentic partner, they don't want to feel like they're being sold. So, just like you'd follow your favorite pro-athletes who are excelling in the sports work, you should follow people who are excelling at selling in general. Whether you're selling pet food or real estate, there are people out there sharing BASIC tools to help you close deal. Find them. Learn from them.
5. EXAMINEYOUR LOSSES
It's easy to walk off the field with your head hanging in defeat. What's not easy is going over a NO you've just received, but you can learn a lot from it. If you lost business, you need to know why. If you couldn't close a deal, you need to know what kept you from closing it. There could be some things you couldn't have predicted or changed, but there could be key elements that you can. Go over your NOs and see if you can change them to YESses.
6. PERFORM FOR ALL AUDIENCES
You're going to have a call in a few favors for this one, but if you can find a few friends who'll sit through your presentation and offer you their thoughts, DO IT. And don't just present to people who know what you're talking about, people in your industry. Run through your schpeel at Thanksgiving dinner or on the sidelines of your kid's soccer game and see what the feedback is. Every person you present to is going to bring different, valuable feedback to the table.

7. BE THE STAR
If everyone else on earth is an Instagram star today, you can be the star of your own sales show. That's right, get yourself on "tape". This is different than standing in front of a mirror and practicing. You're able to see in hindsight what you won't see during a live presentation. You can measure things like how you respond to client questions and what your overall demeanor is. We know it's awkward, but people on Tik Tok are doing way weirder shit.

Listen, the only good things that come easy are fast food cheeseburgers, everything else you really want, you need to work for. And work hard for. These are small, easy things that you can be doing to fine tune your sales skills even if you aren't Big Tom Callahan. And if your main goal is to always be closing, be open to doing whatever you can to help achieve that goal.