Let’s talk about the cool, calm and collected elephant in the room: executive presence. Do you inspire confidence in your customers? Are you taking the time to develop and reevaluate your high level skills like self awareness and communication? Traits like this are key factors in building a sales style that differentiates you from your competitors.
Sales in an experience, and it’s often a customer’s first personal interaction with your business and your brand. Your sales style has the power to attract or repel your ideal clients!
By identifying what values you want to portray throughout your sales experience, you’ll ensure you’re consistent in developing your sales style, and you’ll be that much closer to attracting your dream customers.
I focus on Value-Based Selling.
I give and give and give. My ideal clients then call me when they need assistance with implementation. The transformation I offer is clarity and strategy around your sales process. The result is that you have the ability to quickly increase your revenue – once you learn to be strategic. Notice how simple and clear that is?
I rely heavily on portraying a high level of executive presence. This provides my prospects with confidence in both my knowledge and ability to solve their problems.
Executive Presence
According to Forbes, “Executive presence is about your ability to inspire confidence – that you are capable and reliable and you have the potential for great achievements.” Building executive presence means developing qualities like:
- Self-awareness
- Ability to clearly articulate your vision
- Stellar communication and listening skills
- Confident appearance
- Composure
These are all sales skills. When you think about sales as influence and persuasion, you can clearly picture why each of the above skills is necessary to present yourself as an exceptional salesperson/business owner.
Let’s deep dive into each of these skills!
Self-awareness
Start by paying attention to your own thoughts and emotions. Recognizing how you respond to those thoughts and emotions is critical in developing self-awareness and ultimately building an executive presence.
This also includes self-responsibility. Are you blaming technology or others for your mistakes? Ensure that you are owning it. Taking responsibility will increase your sales results!
That which you are not aware of, you cannot change.
Ability to clearly articulate your vision
Are you exceptionally clear on what you do and why you do it?
Are you able to concisely articulate that to everyone you meet?
Or do people leave confused – so confused they don’t even have questions?
This applies to all of your marketing and sales communications:
- Website
- Emails
- Social media posts
- Etc, etc, etc.
Be crystal clear and allow your next customer to easily understand and envision why they need you and your solution!
Stellar communication & listening skills
Communication is the crux to a successful career as a salesperson/small business owner.
Listen more than you speak.
Listen to understand, not to respond.
In my experience, this is the skill that is hardest to master. As humans, we often believe we are better communicators than we are. I try pausing before I respond to ensure I am:
- Not dominating the conversation
- Allowing space for the person I am speaking with to process their ideas
- Portraying confidence by showing that I don’t have to be first or last to speak and convey my ideas
Allow your clear messaging to speak for itself.
Confident appearance
When people look at you, do they see a leader?
‘Dress for the job you want, not the job you have’ is not just a cute saying. It matters.
First impressions are crucial. Your clothing choices, hairstyle, and body language all project a message about who you are. In the era of Zoom calls, your backdrop is a part of this as well. Sitting on a couch does not portray the same level of professionalism as a clean office, for example.
Composure
Can you remain composed, confident, and articulate even when everything is falling apart? Learning the art of composure is a crucial building block toward executive presence.
Becoming a better seller means developing your executive presence. Once you master the ability to portray confidence, you will see an immediate improvement in your sales metrics.
Are you ready for more help with sales? Click the image below to download my FREE guide to Slaying Every Sales Call!!
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