4 Things that Separate Great Salespeople from Good Ones

John Greene

April 9, 2024

7 min

Table of Contents

What separates great salespeople from good or averages ones?

It’s not just that they’re working harder or smarter. It’s the attitude they take to the whole process of sales.

They understand that sales is indeed a process, and they know that different parts have to be worked at and developed.

From collecting leads, to mentally dealing with the ups and downs, to being more efficient with time, great salespeople get an edge every way they can.

Today, we’ll show you 4 things great salespeople do to close more sales.

They Make Emotional Connections

People buy based on emotions, not logic. And so, the ability to emotionally connect with prospects plays a large factor in your chances of making a sale.

As we talked about in last week’s article, a sale is similar to a romantic relationship in that way. Specifically, trust is very important.

Making stronger emotional connections with prospects comes first from understanding who they are, and what moves them... what motivates them. And then offering a genuine, solutions-based approach.

Understanding people is key to selling so be sure to work on improving your emotional intelligence.

They’re More Efficient

Great salespeople get more done with their time.

They find quality leads faster. Make more high quality calls in less time. Use email effectively both prior to and after making a connection. They automate and systematize where they can, to ensure their time is spent doing only the most valuable tasks.

While other salespeople are doing busy work, great salespeople are getting closer and closer to making the sale.

Some of this efficiency is due to mindset, focus, and successful sales habits.

Some of this efficiency comes from good technique.

And some of this efficiency comes using the right sales tools.

Think about where you can be more efficient in your day-to-day workflow.

They Handle Rejection Differently

Attitude and confidence play a tremendous role in sales.

Success demands an ability to stay positive, through all of the ups and downs.

A big part of that is reframing sales rejection, or rather not really seeing it is as rejection at all. Rejection breeds reluctance. On the flip side, learning from a "no", or seeing it as little more than a stepping stone on the path to a "yes" breeds motivation and positivity.

And that goes a long way.

They Are Patiently Persistent

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Sales don't just happen. Customers don't arrive ready to sign. There's a cycle... and often that cycle takes time.

While we are focused on our job of selling, the client we're working with often has a lot of things they're dealing with. In pushing too hard and too fast, it's possible to derail a sale that was otherwise meant to be.

Being persistent in follow-up is critical. Getting them to address concerns so you can work through them is a must. Employing urgency is just smart selling.

But respect the process that your customers need to go through to find value in your product or service, and don't rush them through it.

Finally, being patient means not giving up because someone says "no" today. Patience is keeping up communications... "dripping" valuable content... and ultimately trying again.

In sales, timing is everything. Where average salespeople have moved on to other prospects, great salespeople are there the whole time, and when the time is right - they're ready.

What do you think separates good salespeople from great ones? Have a good answer? Share your thoughts with a comment...

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