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Tallahassee, FL—To conclude our series on Modern Day Selling it is important to focus on what separates a sales associate into the realm of being elite. This article will give you four important skills that will give you the ability to become an elite sales professional.

In order to become elite you must first understand what greatness looks like. Many of us have worked with sales associates who are amazing and very skilled in the art of selling. It is from those moments that we find many of the skills that can make us great. Take a moment and think about those you’ve worked with over the years that were special, and examine their success. Look closely to find the little treasures they left with you, just waiting to be found. 

1. The first thing necessary for an elite sales professional is their ability to manage themselves. They don’t need a store manager telling them what needs to be done or setting goals for them. Elite sales professionals will set their own goals and automatically do the necessary things that build success. Those hand-written thank you cards, cleaning duties, and all the little things are done quickly and effectively before anyone ever asks. Sales associates who are dependent on receiving orders before they act forfeit their power and ability to unlock their full potential. This was the first secret that actually set the tone for my current success.

2. The second sign of elite sales professionals is their ability to maintain a high level of passion and energy. In today’s world full of stresses and demands it is easy to let passion and energy levels diminish. Elite sales professionals take the time to fix areas of their personal life or store environment that cause their passion and energy to drop. Without perfecting this skill, the potential for burnout is great. Only when you master the ability to maintain a high level of passion and energy will you see lasting results that carry over throughout your sales career.

3. Elite sales professionals genuinely care about and are interested in their customers. Their focus is solely on meeting their customers’ needs and delivering an amazing performance that is entertaining and refreshing, not on the dollar amount or commission to be paid. They realize that taking care of their customers will lead to much more success in the future. The key ingredient is putting more focus on serving rather than selling their customers, because over time they will build a loyal and dedicated customer base where selling becomes easy and effortless. Most of my repeat customers only take minutes to conduct their business because they know that they can trust me and that I have their best interest in mind.

4. Finally, elite sales professionals are the leaders who impact the store environment in a powerful way. Just like Michael Jordan in basketball or Tom Brady in football, their teammates are witnessing greatness and it raises the level of effort and skill of everyone around them. Let’s also not forget that great sports legends fill up stadiums and bring dynamic electricity to the air. The elite sales professional’s customers will do the same thing as they return time and time again for a memorable experience.

When you master these things you will be able to find success no matter what you face in life.  On a personal level, July 2012 was one of the toughest months I had faced in quite some time: I was in the process of a divorce that was final August 1. With that came the task of finding a new home, buying new furniture, changing and separating financial accounts, etc. The list was unending, at the same time that my book became available both in the USA and worldwide. You could easily see that there were many distractions that could hinder me from doing well in sales.

In order to be a leader you must be able to practice what you preach. My sales for that month were $96,000. There was nobody within $50,000 of me. Did we have a special event? No. Did I have one big sale that made a huge difference? No. I simply showed up to work, managed myself, maintained my levels of passion and energy and I gave my customers and amazing experience. I share this not to brag, but as a testimony of how to find success no matter what you are facing in life. There is a way and these are things that you must do in order to achieve such greatness.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series and found it helpful in maintaining your passion, energy, and desire to give your customers your best every day.