What is Your Sales Style?

Did you know that every salesperson has their unique selling style? In this case, a good salesperson isn’t just knowledgeable about the product but also his or her unique strength. As a sales manager or entrepreneur, understanding the different sales strengths your members possess will help you match their roles effectively. Consequently, you not only maximize their potential but also keep them motivated.

In this week’s post, we explore the various sales styles and their significance to the selling process.  

1. The aggressive type a.k.a Hunter 

These are smart and highly motivated individuals who have a clear understanding of the business’ target clients. They are able to do quality research pretty fast and generate sales leads. Their personality allows them to penetrate the cold market with ease and unmatched tenacity. They are, therefore, your best bet when you need to grow your market share. 

Enable your hunters to perform optimally by making sure that they are well compensated and allocated ripe territories. You should also pair hunters with highly passionate sales reps that can manage and close the leads they generate. In addition, tie the hunter’s compensation to the deals they close personally. This motivates them to sell more rather than pass leads only. Besides, this trick will make your selling process efficient and less costly. 

2. The relationship builder a.k.a Farmer  

This sales rep is keen on ensuring that the needs of the customer are not neglected. They build and manage relationships with the client. In the process, they identify new opportunities for contract renewals and cross-sells. To ensure that such individuals generate more revenue, tie their compensation to the customer product uptake.  

However, this should be done with caution so that they don’t appear pushy as this could lead to strained relationships that may hurt the company. To avoid such scenarios, train your relationship managers in up-selling techniques. In addition, allocate them territories or customer segments that are likely to take up more products.  

For instance, if you are in the financial sector, it’s advisable to let your relationship builder handle business customers instead of personal clients. The former is likely to take up more products for stocking and trading purposes unlike the latter who operates accounts to basically receive salaries.  

3. The product-oriented a.k.a Specialist   

These sales staff have the advantage of possessing an in-depth knowledge of the company products and services. They support sales teams by helping customers understand how the company’s products suit their needs and why they are better than those of competitors. Additionally, this critical function requires a representative who is adept in operational procedures and knows the legal aspects attached to the selling process.  

When it comes to compensating product specialists, it should be clear that their performance is dependent on other sales reps. However, there is a need to agree on the exact contribution to the sales process that qualifies for commissions.  

4. The persuasive type a.k.a Deal Closer 

Whether you prefer to call it magic or charm, the closer has that special talent to convince clients to sign contracts. They are highly persuasive and good at warding off competition. These sales reps get leads from the hunters and are real assets to your sales team as they act as the last line of defense. If they can’t close a deal, probably, no one else in your team will. Their ability to find their way up to the executive level of customer’s company helps them to succeed a great deal compared to other sales reps.  

It’s important to note that closers tend to have a higher control of the selling process and should be compensated well to keep them motivated.  For example, a 50-50 share on commissions with the hunters, or higher depending on the transaction, can be an attractive package for the closers. With a good performance, these individuals can help you grow your profits exponentially. 

Conclusion 

The attributes of a salesperson are varied and the most dominant dictates how they handle the selling process. They include aggressiveness, relationship building, product specialization, and persuasiveness. Leaders should match the strengths of the salespeople with their roles in the selling process so as to reap maximum benefits from their sales force.