It's who you are that counts…

We’ve all heard in sales that it’s who you know. Insufficient advice.

But it’s really who you are that counts.

You can know everyone that matters in your town. Treat them poorly, see where that gets you. Run over people by being overly domineering, see how much business you do with them. Be a “yes” man, see what kind of reputation that earns you.

Character counts when you’re wanting to build a sales career. You’ve got to be someone that others like doing business with. Sales skills should always take a back seat to fundamental people skills. Here are a few areas sales professionals need to improve in:

• Not interrupting others.
• Showing genuine interest.
• Not assuming too much in a new relationship.
• Asking thoughtful questions.
• Having a friendly countenance (this is often overlooked).
• Using the person’s name frequently.
• Being authentic, not simply ABC Company’s newest sales representative.

Fill your head with concepts that help you become a better person (visit the websites of Jim Rohn, Dale Carnegie, Earl Nightengale, Brian Tracy for resources that will help you here) and you will win people over.

[tags]character, people+skills[/tags]