Can You Get Things Started?

You're great at reeling off facts and figures and making your product sound irresistible, you're great at giving presentations and you've no difficulty listening to customers and working out what they really need. On top of that, you know how to negotiate and close a deal. But are these all the skills you need to be successful at sales? The one thing they have in common is that they take place after the ground has been prepared. But none of those skills will count for much if you can't get the sales ball rolling. There will be plenty of times in your career when part of your sales work involves following up warm leads or managing repeat business with existing customers. However, you will be hard pressed to find a sales role in which you won't be expected to bring in some new business. If you want a better idea of the types of sales jobs available and how much each role would involve the generation of new leads, then contact sales recruitment agencies in Worcestershire and ask for a breakdown of role expectations for various opportunities. Once you know where the balance lies, you'll be able to assess if you have the right skills for the job. Generating new business from scratch will mean researching and talking to new prospects with a cold-selling approach. Alternatively, or additionally, you will need to get into the networking scene to generate new contacts. Either way, you need to be able to strike up a conversation and quickly build up a rapport and relationship with a complete stranger. This can be hard for the most outgoing of people, as no one likes to suffer rejection. Remember that at networking events almost everyone else will be feeling just as nervous as you. Good eye contact and a smile can work wonders, so make sure you start scanning the room as soon as you arrive. There are bound to be other people on their own eager to strike up conversation. If you wait too long, you might find everyone already in groups by the time you are ready to take action. You don't have to use witty opening lines or killer questions to break the ice. Simply smile, hold out a hand to shake and give your name. Then make sure you ask lots of questions and avoid just talking about yourself. The rest should flow from here.