Developing Commitment in Sales
By Sharifah N. Hafiza

Commitment is a simple word to understand but it carries a whole lot of weight when it comes to decision making. To be able to commit oneself to something is more than just saying that simple word. It is a life long journey of challenges and responsibilities. Whatever attempts we plan to accomplish in life will involve commitment, same goes to being a successful sales person.

Before making a commitment, a sales person needs to think hard and look into themselves about their passion and life’s goal. According to The Sales Board Inc in their research, one reason for failure in sales is due to the fact that nearly 80% of sales people are not aware of their main goal. Identifying the goals precisely will determine what and where they want to reach in life. It must come together with a burning desire to commit in term of our willingness to invest time, effort and any other resources to make things happen.

Because building our forte in the sales industry is never easy, especially in today’s economy, where selling is not only perceived as an occupation but professionalism is highly expected from the sales person. In order to gain the understanding of trends in today’s market place, a sales person needs to be aware that meeting KPI’s simply will not assist them in developing effective skills and knowledge within them.

Accordingly, in order for us to develop commitment, we need to see ourself as a talent and take action by firstly developing our own portfolio. This portfolio will include all the needed material customized to sell more effectively. As a result of preparation, during execution, it will demonstrate competency and confidence. The sales professional portfolio includes:

This is important because by having a strong and clear statement, it will make it easier for your client and prospects to refer and remember you by. For example; having a niche speciality such as “Specialist in Customer Focused Selling Skills”

Build competitive advantage over your competition. The one thing you sell is always the same. Despite of industry or businesses, the one and vital thing you sell is trust. By developing a quick and meaningful bond of trust between your client and you, it will benefit us because with trust, clients exude loyalty.

Take each phone calls and clients questions and comment as a knowledge. A sales person will acquire the same basic questions asked on a regular basis. Consistent probing in understanding clients needs is a stretch of opportunities to prepare the person in developing a more effective and powerful responses.

Evidently, you provide more value as you polish up your best responses to your frequently asked questions, and the results will show from the more positive decisions make by clients or prospects about you. And they will do it more quickly.

During cold callings or sales presentation, it is not advisable to focus on selling solely. All business is show business implied that entertainment way of presenting yourself and your business to people as “sharing success stories” effects clients feeling.

Often clients and prospects want proof that there are other companies that have benefited from your work. Story telling is important because we are buying emotions that will help the clients feel better in doing business with us.

To enhance your chances in getting sales, it is essential to ensure the quality of questions asked. We need to plan and speak out our best and powerful questions as it help in convincing clients to buy into our ideas.

On top of all the plan and direction lay out and expected out of us, it comes down to ourself which is to always believe that we are able to reach the ultimate objectives.

Last updated - 1 June 2006