The more AI platforms like ChatGPT learn, the clearer it gets what they won’t replace. That includes original thought and emotion, physical labor and other jobs that need a human being (or at least a human face on Zoom). As Phil Gerbyshak notes, nothing replaces personalized messages and communication. Sales isn’t just about a one time sale to a client, even if the pitch has their name on it. It’s about understanding a client fully and responding to their ongoing needs. That will always take one on one human attention. Being successful in sales isn’t just about the process of selling.
Success in sales takes ongoing support and attention that turns a one time sale into a loyal customer for life.
To understand what it takes to build lasting relationships with customers, we sat down with Gary Zermuehlen, a trainer, coach and consultant with Sandler Peak Performance Management, Inc. Here’s what he had to say.
What being successful in sales means
As Zermuehlen puts it, sales is “one of the best paying occupations on the planet if you’re good at it. But it’s also one of the worst if you’re bad at it.” He should know: he’s been working in sales for over 25 years.
For many years, he felt like he was only taking orders from higher ups rather than taking initiative himself. He says he didn’t think of himself as a “true sales professional” before he came to Sandler.
At Sandler, he learned the behaviors and attitudes people need for long term success in sales: discipline, self motivation, drive, a competitive streak and a willingness to commit to customers and their needs over time.
A successful salesperson does more than sell.
Customer service is a big part of what keeps customers loyal to a brand. That means treating customers with the same care after the sale as before it, or more. Most of all, it means following through to make sure the customer gets exactly what the salesperson promised.
That post sale attention makes it more likely the customer comes back, feels good about the purchase and recommends you to friends and family.
What does being successful in sales take?
Along with his long career, Zermuehlen has spent the last three years being mentored by someone he considers one of the best salespeople in the country. From that mentor, he’s learned three traits that matter most for being successful in sales.
1. Taking responsibility
“Most of the challenges,” Zermuehlen says of sales, “are between two ears.” He points to his own head as he says it. “We have a tendency to blame recessions and COVID and inflation […] and the best thing they could do is take responsibility for themselves and for their future being successful. The blame-game gets us nowhere.”
Successful salespeople don’t put all the blame for lost sales, or sales they never landed, on outside forces. They take at least part of the responsibility and look at what went wrong. Growth comes from recognizing mistakes and learning from them.
2. Having an outlook of possibility
Zermuehlen says that because sales relies so heavily on self motivation, it also needs an outlook of possibility. Rather than focusing on what limits your sales, you look at what’s possible.
That often means reframing the situation. Look at what might be possible between you and your customers, not at what isn’t possible and holds you back.
3. Having the right personality
Both Zermuehlen and we at Workwolf® recognize that some personalities are better suited for long careers in sales. To gauge how suited someone is for sales, Zermuehlen uses the DISC model, which describes four behavioral types at work:
- Drive (or dominance): a fast paced, task oriented worker with drive and determination
- Influence: the ability to influence and persuade others
- Steadiness: workers who favor stability and structure in their work
- Conscientiousness: workers who are logical, analytical, careful and detail oriented
DISC isn’t the only way to look at personality. Workwolf® runs on its own AI engine, Packfinder. It screens and ranks every applicant against the profile of each client’s top performers, and it gets more precise with every placement. For more on why these traits matter, read about soft skills in hiring. Neither approach treats any personality as right or wrong.
Some personalities are just more or less suited to sales, especially in competitive, commission based, long term roles. The rest, as Zermuehlen notes, can be taught or sharpened with practice and mentorship.
How to improve your sales with the post-sell
Being successful in sales also takes real investment in the customer’s needs after the sale. That period starts, as Zermuehlen says, “the minute they sign your agreement.”
Going above and beyond is what turns a one time sale into a long term relationship. How trustworthy is a salesperson who ghosts you the minute the deal is done?
Start by meeting with your clients, even virtually, to make sure you’re keeping the promises you made in the sale. Ask if they’re getting the service they signed up for. If they aren’t, ask what you can do about it.
That conversation may lead to more sales, which is the “sell” in “post-sell.”
Then show your commitment by asking clients to rate you on how well you’re holding up your end of the deal. You’ll learn how well you’re doing and how likely they are to recommend you. The rating can also help clients put into their own words how reliable you’ve been.
Once you’ve built a solid relationship, ask for a referral or a testimonial for your website or social media. It backs up what you say about yourself online and builds a reputation as a salesperson who cares beyond a single sale.
Summary
Photo courtesy of Gary Zermuehlen
After talking with trainer, coach and consultant Gary Zermuehlen, our takeaway is that a truly successful salesperson doesn’t ghost customers once the sale is done. They keep the relationship going for long term loyalty. The post-sell is the final step in the sales process, and it’s what makes salespeople truly successful.
Special thanks to Gary Zermuehlen for the expert advice in this article. For more on predictable and consistent sales, visit peakperformance.sandler.com.
Hiring salespeople in volume? Workwolf® sources candidates, filters them with AI, phone screens them with its recruiters and books the best fits into your calendar, so you only meet the finalists and make the hire. Book a call to see how it would work for your roles, or run your numbers in our hiring ROI calculator.
