What are the key life skills that make for success in sales?

There are many things written and said about effective sales people, effective leaders, successful entrepreneurs, great teams and so on.

Many descriptions are in circulation. There is an overabundance of experts recommending this approach one day and that approach the next.

Those of us who want to be effective and successful often follow the advice of those experts. However, we are at risk of turning ourselves inside out and losing sight of what we are really here to do if we keep trying to bend to the winds and whims of the latest management trends, fads, findings, research, etc.

I am not against reading widely, continuous learning, adopting new ways and adapting to change, as you have probably realised by now.

However, in recent times I have been feeling overwhelmed by too much information and instead found myself opting for a “less is more” approach to life.

As I always do, I have been sifting through a lot of information and finding that I am beginning to distil some fundamental skills that hold true whatever the fad or trend of the day.

On my most recent distillation process I have found that I was able to identify four valuable life skills that work very well for me in every situation I have found myself in. You will recognise that these skills are essential to effective selling, and I am sure you won’t miss their relevance to all other roles we play, both personally and professionally.

So in the spirit of “less is more” here are my four valuable life skills which continue to serve me very well:

1. The ability to ask good questions
2. The ability to actively listen
3. The ability to receive and give honest feedback
4. The ability to reflect on my actions

I hope they serve you well too. Enjoy your sales week.

Remember, everybody lives by selling something.

Sue Barrett is founder and managing director of BARRETT, a boutique consultancy firm. Sue is an experienced consultant, public speaker, coach and facilitator. Sue and her team are best known for their work in creating high performing people and teams. Key to their success is working with the whole person and integrating emotional intelligence, skill, knowledge, behaviour, process and strategy via effective training and coaching programs. Click here to find out more

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