Supersalespeople see on two levels-physiological and conceptual.
Through the former, they can step into a meeting and scan the scene
to study how customers sit, stand, shake hands and make eye
contact. "They know how to translate body language, adjusting
to customers' posture," says Hickey. Supersalespeople know
how they're viewed by customers, and they use their own body
language to further the process.
Conceptual vision plays the greater role because it allows
salespeople to envision how their customers will use their
products. "When salespeople find those uses, they can pitch
particular needs or wants, wow the client and lay the groundwork
for larger projects down the road," says Turner.
Meanwhile, the supersalesperson sees right through the process.
He or she has looked at the client's history and seen the
potential problems, whether generated by the salesman's company
or by the client. According to Magennis, this vision is what
enables the supersalesperson to take responsibility for the entire
sales process.
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In Good Hands
In the hands of any salesperson you'll find the tools for
greatness: a briefcase, a mobile phone and a laptop equipped with
software that enables them to create presentations or proposals in
the blink of a cursor.
Beyond that, the hands and arms of the supersalesperson are
symbolic. At first, the hand is associated with the handshake, the
ability to build new relationships. Then there's the grip, the
ability to hang on tightly-representing the salesperson's
tenacity and perseverance. "Salespeople need the ability to go
forward when others give up or when obstacles are in the way,"
says Barry Farber, president of Farber Training Systems in
Livingston, New Jersey. "Tenacity overrides many of our
deficiencies." It also keeps salespeople focused when their
charm and insight aren't enough.
"Salespeople
need the ability to go forward when others give up or when
obstacles are in the way."
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"Even the most charismatic salespeople need to follow the
process religiously," says Riley. "Charisma has its highs
and lows. On a bad day, the salesperson falls back on the process,
carrying him through to the close."
Supersalespeople reach beyond actual job requirements to make
the sale. Says Magennis, "They assume additional assignments,
look for new solutions and demonstrate initiative outside their
defined job role."
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