How many of you have heard a child say, "I want to grow up and be in sales?"  

Or  

How many of you have heard people wonder what salespeople actually do?"  

I recall hearing quite often, "He's just a salesperson." Yet people like me have built a career in sales and have continued to revel and be successful in it. If given another life as a child, I would probably say, "I want to grow up and be in sales." 

So, simply, a salesperson sells. I'm assuming everybody knows that. But what else?  

Not many people would know or bother to learn. Yet every person sells all through their lives.  

• Parents prepare their children to sell themselves to get admission in a good school
• People sell themselves to get through an interview
• You sell yourself constantly to be recognized in society, have good friends and a good partner
• You sell yourself to your boss and your colleagues 24X7 to be successful in your career 

That is the fundamental truth. 

Characteristics of a Good Salesperson 

Let us look at some of the fundamentals of a good salesperson. There are practically two kinds of salespeople.  

Firstly, there's the individual with a strong grasp of the products they sell, such as an automobile salesperson. 

Secondly, there's the rare case, like mine in media advertising sales, where I consistently sold to clients with MBAs in marketing or to advertising agency buyers who were well-versed in the specifics of the newspaper space I was attempting to sell. Further, you can sell anything – a product, a service, an idea, a future, a hope, a recognition – literally anything!  

The following fundamentals of sales that I share are from my years of experience in my life-long career in sales.  

It is just not about talking 

I'm sure you've heard parents talking about a talkative child, saying, "She would be a great salesperson!"  

I have always felt that it is not about how you talk in sales but more about what you speak.  

Not only that, but you need to listen more than talk. You need to listen to your buyer, read between the lines, and try to understand their inner emotions. Only then can you make a successful pitch. 

There is a belief that - a good salesperson can lie and get away with it 

Well, I do not believe that to be true. A good salesperson should never lie. Because, like everywhere in life, someday you will get caught, and you might not get a second chance. The reputation of a good salesperson is everything. Once broken, it is difficult to fix.  

So, should a salesperson be honest and talk about the good and the bad of what she is trying to sell?  

Well, that is the tricky part. Let's break this into small pieces.  

A salesperson needs to be truthful and honest all the time. There is no alternative to that. But they should be honest and truthful about their strengths and avoid talking about their weaknesses, just like what you would do in an interview. But remember that the strengths and weaknesses of what you sell are not determined by you but by your client. 

You might have heard that a good salesperson should be good at PR 

In the sales world, a good salesperson should be able to talk to the client about many things besides sales.  

I remember many of my bosses saying you should establish a close relationship with your client, even knowing details like the car they drive or their weekend activities. Frankly, I have found this approach unnecessary, especially in recent times when clients are consistently occupied and perceive conversations with salespeople as time-wasting. 

In such a scenario, should you discuss the pitch or inquire about their interests, such as the sports they follow?  

I have adhered to the principle of discussing business and the pitch when meeting clients during work hours, reserving discussions about unrelated topics for encounters outside work. This approach has yielded positive results in building a reputation as someone who genuinely respects a client's time. 

Always be pitching 

In sales, it's not about how well you sell; it's about the pipeline you build. The larger the pipeline, the more likely you are to succeed. In advertising sales, 2 out of 10 pitches will likely succeed.  

For example, throwing a bunch of darts towards the board in a dark room. On switching on the lights, you might find only a few find their mark. Don't overthink, just pitch. Remove emotions from sales. While you know that only a few pitches will succeed, you should pitch with the same passion and vigor for all in the pipeline without concern, which will ultimately succeed! 

Conclusion 

I want to conclude with a few humorous stories from my experience in sales. Let me share today's anecdote.  

I remember hiring someone for a sales position a few levels below me when I served as the national head of sales. I scheduled a client meeting for him within a couple of days. I advised him to prepare thoroughly for the meeting. On the actual day of the meeting, I was surprised to see that he had not brought anything with him except for twirling his cell phone between his index finger and thumb. There was no laptop, no notebook—nothing. I lost my temper and expressed my frustration to him.  

However, within a few months, he began to excel, and before long, he became one of the top-performing salespeople on my team. Interestingly, even after achieving success, I noticed that he often attended meetings with clients, rotating his phone between those same two fingers.  

Moral – Every successful salesperson has their own unique ways! 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you handle changes and unexpected challenges in the fast-paced world of media advertising sales?

One needs to be acceptable to change all the time 

The more important thing is not to make assumptions based on past selling methods. Talk to clients, colleagues, your boss, and even family members all the time about a given situation. They might give you a different approach. Be ready to use that new approach even if it goes against your experienced understanding.  

Get more informed and educated from the internet 

Read and watch news on the internet related to sales and marketing to get an idea of the changes happening. At the same time, doing all this stick to the basic rules of advertising sales on researching, prospecting, pitching, negotiating, and closing.   

 

2. How do you leverage creative thinking to devise unique media advertising solutions that capture your clients' target audiences?

Creative thinking is the key to good sales. And creative thinking should start with the salesperson.  

A good salesperson makes the first pitch in her mind and gets a gut feeling whether this will work with a client. It is about matching a marketing requirement of your client with what you can offer from your portfolio of brands and platforms.  

Once you are convinced of the idea, approach your in-house creative department to give it the shape feasible to implement. Pitch to the client and then continuously change the solution as per feedback from the client and your creative department till you close the deal.  

 

3. How do you effectively communicate the value of your product or service to clients, focusing on the benefits that matter most to them?

You need to follow the steps: 

• Do research on the client - their product, their past marketing communication, the person you are going to approach 
• Introduce yourself, your company, and your products to the client. But before you do that, talk about what you understand about the client and highlight and appreciate recent achievements. Then, ask for a meeting to present your product portfolio 
• After presenting the credentials in the meeting, ensure you have enough time to make the client speak - about her marketing requirements, past campaigns, etc.  
• In the meeting, share a few impromptu ideas about benefits that might matter to them. Get a gauge of the client's interest—probe for possible budgets. Ensure you leave the meeting where the client is open to looking at a solution from you. 
• Come back and follow up on a formal brief budget, and then get cracking on the same 
• Tailor-make a proposal that delivers value to the client through your product or service, addresses the initial marketing problem in the given budget 

 

4. How do you build strong, lasting relationships with potential clients?

Respect the client 

Always show good manners. Greet, say thank you, say please consider whenever convenient for you, etc. 

Don't take the client for granted 

Always check if you have any doubts. This will make the client respect you. 

Treat the time you get with the client as priceless 

It is that one meeting to make that impression. Prepare thoroughly and ensure you fulfill all the objectives you had at the meeting. You might not get a second chance. 

Push for face-to-face meetings at the client's office as the first preference. Nothing can be more impactful. It is preferred that you don't try to do the first meeting over a meal, coffee, or phone.  

Follow up non-hesitantly but as per the timelines given by the client.

If the client says to call in half an hour, do call in half an hour and not the next day. Hold the client to her word. They will respect you because they understand you are doing your job professionally. 

Be truthful and upfront with the client no matter how tough a situation gets. But always offer a solution or an alternative.  

Remember, trust is the most important thing in the sales process. If the client is ready to do business with you, it means she trusts you. That's the main reason. Rest can be other things like how good your proposal is.