People Skills First, Sales Skills Later

On the heels of a similar previous post, let me take a minute here, amidst all of the go-go-go of our selling careers to remind us all how important our basic, fundamental people skills are over our sales techniques.

I’ve been around a host of good people lately whose careers are far removed from face-to-face selling. They laugh when I tell them this, but they’d be terrific in sales if they found the right culture to work in. Why? They all shared these traits:

They truly care about people and it shows in their outward behavior. They leave people better off than they found them. They ask question after question of those they meet for the first time. They make people feel welcome and important. They smile.

In short, they know how to approach people they’ve never met, without trepidation, without guile. They flat-out never talk over people or dominate conversations.

I’ve said it in many different ways on this blog, but I can’t emphasize enough: Your people skills matter. Who you are, really, is so much more vital than the techniques you master or strive to master.

Now, check out this short, fun ebook by justsell.com on sales manners.