Recently, we at Workwolf have noticed a huge uptick in the demand for sales professionals. In fact, just this week, a LinkedIn News article by Greg Lewis revealed that the sales industry was one of the most recurrent industries among the top ten most in-demand positions on LinkedIn. And as Steve Trang, a sales trainer extraordinaire, as well as real estate “disruptor” and podcast host, notes, sales can be a very profitable career path if one has the talent and work ethic to make it a long-term career. But, as Trang recognizes, not everyone will thrive in such a career. So, what does it take to have a successful career in sales? And how can your skills and knowledge in sales translate to supporting fellow sales team members? It all starts, Trang notes, with understanding the value of a process and responding to others’ needs accurately and consistently.
The Value of a Process
Trang himself, a seasoned sales trainer, has all the makings of a salesperson: a friendly demeanour, quick wit, and that ever-coveted “gift of gab“—that is, the natural ability to speak eloquently and persuasively.
“Most salespeople believe that intrinsically they have the gift of gab,” Trang notes. “They’re good talkers, and that if they’re good talkers, they should be good at sales. And a lot of people have been able to get away with it for a very, very long time because [they’re] able to win sales this way. But what we teach people is how to follow a process to get consistent results”
That is, whatever your established process may be—whether it is the standard set by the industry or one that you and your team have crafted over time through trial and error—adhering to it can help you and your team get consistent, efficient, and scalable results. And this can be a practice that can make-or-break an organization, especially when it comes to surviving hostile market conditions.
It can also help your clients recognize your organization’s uniform and structured practices, which can further support your credibility and trustworthiness. But with all of this said, even when one understands the value of a process, not everyone will still find the same kind of success in sales. It takes, as we at Workwolf know very well, a certain kind of worker to really thrive in sales.
What It Takes to Thrive in Sales
Ever the skeptic, Lara presses Trang for his views on whether sales is for anyone or for only a specific few who naturally have the tendencies needed for success in sales. And Trang agrees: “I do think that there are some tendencies that we all have—whether through nature or through nurture, we’re wired a certain way, we have a certain DNA—and I think that not everyone should be in sales.”
“I think everyone can be in sales,” Trang continues, “everyone can become a better communicator, everyone can be more effective at communicating. But not everyone should be in sales because in sales, you get a lot of rejection, you get a lot of adversity.”
That is, the amount of rejection one takes in a day in sales—day after day—can, as Trang suggests, become taxing and can take a toll on someone over time. In sales, then, one must know not only that they are capable of facing rejection time and again, but further how much rejection they’re able to withstand without feeling burnt out or discouraged.
Of course, there are always ways of improving one’s sales career with the help of a sales trainer, especially if a worker is determined to make sales their long-term career path. Having found great success in his own sales career, Trang himself decided to pursue such a career, which led him to not only his current position as a sales trainer but also his position as a podcast host.
And while the knowledge he has collected from experts in the field is wide-reaching on this podcast, some of his main pointers for aspiring sales trainers are as follows.
3 Steps for an Aspiring Sales Trainer
As Trang suggests, sales trainers can make the difference between short-term and long-term efficient and successful sales teams. But doing so is a multi-step process. This includes:
1. Figuring Out Where Your Sales Team Members Want to Go
Determine where in sales your clients or team members want to go with their career. Ask them specific goals they have in mind for their career with milestones and key performance indicators (KPIs) in mind.
2. Determining the Reasoning behind Their Goals
Once you understand where your salespeople want to go, next, you’ll need to determine why they want to get from point A to point B. This will be the driving factor in their goals and will further help them decide how much they want such a goal in their career.
3. Establishing a Concrete Action Plan
Then, using the above information from your client/sales team member, you’ll want to establish an action plan with tangible tasks that break down large steps into smaller, more accessible ones. With such a plan, your salespeople are more likely to follow you and therefore, believe in the process you offer.
After all, we all know how important it is to establish and follow a given process.
Summary
Special thanks to Steve Trang for the expert advice in this week’s blog post. In summary, Trang argues for the importance of adhering to a well-defined sales process for consistent, efficient, and scalable results. However, not everyone is equally made for a sales career. Ensuring one has the ability to withstand rejection and maintain sight of one’s goals is key to success in sales. For those looking to get into sales training, Trang suggests establishing a client’s goals, the reasons behind those goals, and then a concrete action plan to help them succeed in their sales careers.
For more tips in sales and to learn more about what a sales trainer like Trang can offer you and your organization, check out the Real Estate Disruptors website and follow the Real Estate Disruptors’ podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
