You Don’t Have to Be Charismatic to Be a Sales Superstar

So often people tell me that in order to be an effective salesperson, one must possess charisma, be really talkative and fun, and be “good with people.” This is simply not true.

In fact, my extensive research has shown that overly charismatic salespeople are quite talkative, constantly seeking social interaction and are often at a disadvantage when compared to those with less magnetism but who are more consistent about their sales process.

Three Ways to Compensate for Less-Than Great Charisma and Become a Sales Superstar

#1: Be distinct from the competition. Prospects do not care about how charismatic and charming you are. What they care about is that you seem to be a step above your competitors. The way you present yourself as a step above is by being totally and completely distinct from your competition.

Forget about all the enthusiasm, charm and hype. Instead, focus on presenting yourself in a distinct way. If your competitors are being enthusiastic, then be genuine. Try to understand what’s really going on in the life of that prospect.

#2: Ask questions about challenges and goals. Prospects do not buy a product or service. Instead they buy the solutions to their challenges. So during the course of the sales process ask consistent questions about their current challenges and goals.

By doing this you’ll not only set yourself apart from the competition, but you’ll create much more value in the eyes of that prospect since you won’t be focused on selling a particular product or service. Rather, you’ll be focused on helping them solve their most critical challenges and helping them achieve their most important goals and objectives.

#3: Use the same script every time. Most salespeople who are not top performers often try to be creative in their sales approach, mixing it up every time. But this is the exact strategy that’s holding them back. Instead of trying to wing it or coming up with different approaches every time, use the same exact script, the same exact set of questions and the same exact style with every single prospect.

When you make a cold call to a prospect you should have a script, but not sound scripted. Your script should sound natural and be the same every time. Top performers script out every component of the sales process, and as a result they can consistently improve and troubleshoot where a particular sale went wrong.

As you can see, charm, wit and magnetism aren’t the secrets to being a sales superstar. By applying these three really simple steps, you won’t need a lot of charisma to be a heavy hitter. Instead, follow these three steps and watch your sales dramatically improve.

What is your approach to increasing your value in the eye of the prospect? Please share below in the comments.