060 – The Hard and Soft Skills of Selling and Sales Training
The Common Denominator of Success
by Albert E.N. Gray
Several years ago, I was brought face to face with the very disturbing realization that I was trying to supervise and direct the efforts of a large number of men who were trying to achieve success, without knowing myself what the secret of success really was.
And that, naturally, brought me face to face with the further realization that regardless of what other knowledge I might have brought to my job, I was definitely lacking in the most important knowledge of all.
The common denominator of success — the secret of success of every man who has ever been successful — lies in the fact that he formed the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do.
The Hard skills of Selling
- Product knowledge
- Prospecting skills
- Features and benefits
- How to use your company software – CRM and Email
- How to do the paperwork
- How to do a design
- How to handle objections
- How to get an appointment
- Knowledge of your SALES Scripts – No winging it!
- How to ask for the order.
You see you can be doing all the Hard activities of selling but without the soft things, there’s no magic.
The Soft skills of Selling – the Magic
- Attitude
- Energy – positive energy
- Enthusiasm
- Joy
- Love of the product or service you’re selling
- Passion
- A desire to succeed – IN a BIG WAY
- A big reason why
- All In All, the Way – All the time
- The ability to get yourself UP
- Responsibility for your own actions
- The ability to Listen
- The desire to serve and Be of Service
- The desire to Deliver big on your promises
- Connecting with People –
- People to People selling – never B2B
- Belief Systems about Yourself
- Belief about your company and what you sell
| 5 Steps in the Sales Funnel | Hard Skills | Soft Skills |
| 1. Prospecting | ||
| 2. Discovery and Rapport | ||
| 3. Proposal Writing | ||
| 4. Presentation | ||
| 5. Follow Up |
