Improve Your Sales Results: Focus on Feedback

Selling is very different from many types of jobs. One very important reason is that selling is a behavior. It's not a task like keyboarding or knowing how to use Excel. Selling requires us to use our interpersonal communications skills in order to achieve our goals.


In order to use our skills to the best effect, you need to be completely comfortable using them. Being completely comfortable requires more than just writing out your presentations. You need to actually practice it. This means role playing.The best way to become comfortable with any skill is to practice it until you master it. Offer to partner with co-worker - use the buddy system to help improve both your skills sets. Role play several times other a period of several days or weeks. Don't do it once. It's the repetition that helps you feel comfortable.


Don't be afraid to ask for a critique.Feedback is crucial to the process. Often we are too close to be able to accurately judge how we are doing. Don't assume feedback is negative. Ask your partner: 

• What did you like? 
• What was good but could be better? 
• What needs improvement? 

You'll notice that we took 3 steps in this feedback process. First, it's important to know what you are doing right. It gives you something to build on. Second, you want to make sure you are mastering the skill - not just going through the motions. Third, you need people to be honest enough with you to be able to tell you what areas you really need to improve. Create a plan of action for yourself based on this feedback. Think about it, practice it on your own. Use it in your sales presentations. After a few days, ask your buddy to role play with you again. See where you've improved. Repeat this process over time to see real improvement. 

I also recommend recording yourself for self-evaluation. Sometimes, hearing/seeing yourself is the most effective method for change. 

When you master a skill, the comfort level comes with it. It becomes easy to use because you've taken the time to master it. Simply attending a teleclass or a seminar won't increase your comfort level for questioning sequences by themselves. Leaving the class with a resolution to practice and use your skills - put yourself on a course of self-improvement until you master them - that will make it easy for you.