What Makes a Great Salesperson?

You’ve heard me say it before, but I’ll say it again:

Great salespeople are not born. They’re made. 

Sales is a skill you learn, just like everything else you do in your business.

Here’s another thing you should know: The more you want to earn with your services, the more you have to learn how to sell your services.

People who pay more expect more. Not only from the “what” you do but also during the “how” you do it.

How do you make them feel heard?

How do you make them feel important?

How do you make them feel motivated?

How do you make them feel reassured?

All these things add up to the value you create for your potential clients. And that’s what they want more than anything from you and your services.

Remember what Warren Buffett said: “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”

So how do good salespeople do that better than bad ones?

You focus on VALUE in the sales process. Early and often.

As Ernest Hemingway said: “Show the readers everything. Tell them nothing.” Or, you might have heard it said: “Show, don’t tell.”

Why does this work? Maya Angelou put it best: “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

That starts the moment they shop your online storefront – and carries all the way through the buyer’s journey to a signed contract.

I often hear from wedding pros about the plateau they reach or ceiling they hit. Sometimes I’ve heard it described as a pricing dead zone, as if couples between one price and another don’t exist.

But dead zones don’t exist for cars or college tuition, real estate purchases, or resort hotel rooms. Why would they be for weddings?

If you feel like you’re in a dead zone, it’s most likely because

1. You’re not attracting the right kinds of couples in the first place (ie. they don’t have the money to afford your services). The answer to this one is getting better inquiries through better referrals going to a better website. Or,

2. You’re not creating enough value in the sales process (ie. what Mr. Buffett said). The answer to this one is to get better at showing value by making people feel it throughout the buyer’s journey.

If you’re worried about your website, reach out for an audit by our team. We’re running a half-off special right now for our 101-point review.

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But what specific sales skills do you need to learn in order to see success at the levels you want?

Is it closing the deal? (Nope)

Is it follow-ups? (These are rarely needed if you’re doing other things right.)

Is it setting your prices correctly? (Ahem…handing the mic back to Mr. Buffett again.)

Is it coming up with a better logo set? Or finally, picking the right font? (These are important for the first 7-10 seconds, but do very little to impact the rest of the 2- to 3-week buyer’s journey.)

The truth is, none of these matter as much as most wedding pros think when it comes to converting more couples at higher prices. It’s a real shame so many of you focus so much and spend so much on these “fixes” for their lack of sales skills.

What skills DO matter?

Through years of reading, research and coaching, I’ve pinpointed 7 core skills every great salesperson demonstrates to their would-be clients.

1. Soft skills

2. Client experience

3. Business development

4. Communication

5. Deal momentum

6. Product, market, and industry knowledge

7. Time management

Business owners who reach their full potential as sellers of their services stack these seven skills better than those who get stuck on the plateau hit the price ceiling, or drift into the fabled dead zone.

Want to hear more about the seven core abilities necessary to develop your skills?

Tune into my latest podcast episode on Own Your Business.