Master YOU: Do you enjoy problem solving? Do you know how to successfully walk in your customers’ shoes? Do you know your behavioral style and how to recognize your customers’ behavioral style? The first two questions may be simple but the last one may be confusing. Knowing your behavioral style of “how” you act the way you do will give you information about yourself that will help you better communicate with others. Investigate a DISC assessment tool and study this information and apply it, and it will help you “master" you.

Master EI: E.I. stands for Emotional Intelligence. This currently is an important buzzword in business and in the communication skills people bring to their jobs. Leaders must understand how to recognize their own emotional intelligence as well as those of their direct reports. Research is touting that EI is now more important than your IQ or even your technical skills. Originally called, soft skills, these skills are now called, necessary skills, in your sales position. The ability to understand your own emotional temperature and how to regulate it as well as showing empathy to your employees and customers and helping them manage theirs is another important step in mastering sales. 

Master listening: Active listening is imperative to a position in sales. Research shows that we spend almost 80% of our day listening. But is it active listening? The University of Colorado defines active listening as: “A way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding.” I believe that this one skill, active listening, is an art that requires the most work. In a world of digital communication and less and less face-to-face communication, active listening skills are critical when closing a sale in person. Focusing on eye contact, not interrupting and listening to what is “not” said are sales skills any salesperson needs to “master”.