Unveiling the Sales Superpowers: Your Guide to Success Beyond Charisma
10 key insights I learned on what it takes to close a deal
When I think of salespeople, I think of them as loud, social, charismatic, confident, and someone who I should stay away from.
Yet here I am, a sales agent. I bet I surprised my mom the most because she used to describe me as “quiet and snobbish” when I was young.
I became a sales agent because I like to pair problems with solutions. Still, I have this misconception that I struggle to close deals because I just don’t have the talent or charisma.
But what if I told you that the true secret to sales mastery isn’t innate charm, but a combination of psychology, perseverance, and a commitment to your own growth?
Discover with me the key insights I learned from sales coaches on what it takes to close a deal.
You cannot be logical with customers.
I’m sure you’ve heard of this before — Common sense is not that common. Let’s use examples:
- How many times have we indulged in shopping for things we didn't actually need, only to satisfy our emotions?
- We know the importance of an emergency fund, but how often do we end up using that money for travel?
- We know we can start that project early, but why wait until the last minute to finish?
You get the point. Logic opens the mind, but emotions open the wallet.
In sales and marketing, you guide the customer from point A to point B. People don’t buy because of how much you know about the product, but because of how they feel you understand them. As frustrating as that sounds, I learned to become a human first and see things from their perspective.
Add value first before making an offer.
As a logical and straightforward person, I used to be intentional with prospects and tell them my offer immediately from the get-go.
No wonder why I also got straightforward rejections. Attention is valuable, and I learned the hard way that I must pay the price. One of my financial gurus used to say:
Money is a symbol of value. If you want more money, give more value to others.
(Bo Sanchez)
That’s why sales and marketing go together. With marketing, you can penetrate into your buyer’s red zone by offering valuable content such as educational, entertaining, and inspiring posts.
If you aspire to be a marketer or to be in sales, start by changing your mindset from consumer to creator. Before posting, ask yourself these two things:
- Will this inspire my audience?
- Will my audience see my skills as someone who’s an expert in my niche?
If the answer to any of these is YES, then publish that post. As Eve Arnold shared in one of her articles, “every piece of content you put out is in service of your reader”.
Body language wins you half the battle.
According to my sales coaches, you close a deal with three things: body language, tone of voice, and words.
Guess how much of a deal’s success gets credited to body language? Fifty-eight percent.
That means closing the deal starts when you interact with your customer. Present with good posture, eye contact, a smile showing your teeth, and a firm handshake. Use animated body language when explaining things. Mirror their actions. Don’t cross your arms and face them completely.
Show them it’s safe to enter your red zone with body language.
A meeting is where you discover whether you’re both a good fit.
When I was a fresh graduate, I viewed an interview as an opportunity for me to show my skills, knowledge, and personality to the hiring manager. Hoping to get their approval that I could be a good fit for the position they’re looking for.
But when I started freelancing, it became a two-way process. The prospect asks for my portfolio to gauge my skills while I ask what their work process is like. It becomes a litmus test to see if there could be a great partnership.
Similarly, a sales meeting is a two-way process. You determine if they could be one of your valued clients and if they could trust in your expertise.
Don’t tell. Ask.
Another concept that I learned is guided discovery through asking the right questions. Instead of telling them what should be, ask how they feel and why they feel that way. It creates more impact when the customer gets to your point through his own realizations.
In other words, don’t spoil the fun, or the experience will be forgettable. Guide them to your point patiently until they make the admission. It’s like coaching rather than advising.
Empathize, not sympathize.
In a sales meeting, the salesperson sells the solution (product or service) while the prospect sells excuses. The question is — who closes the deal?
Be mindful, especially when these excuses are valid and so gut-wrenching you’re convinced not to help anymore. In that case, you either got sold by the prospect, or it simply wasn’t a good fit. Either way, always find a way to help improve their situation sincerely.
Confidence comes from familiarity and practice.
I used to think the best salespeople were natural geniuses because they appeared charismatic, smooth, quick, and perfect. They look effortless.
Until I heard the stories of how much effort they put in before making it look effortless. Deliberate practice looks like this:
- Forcing to make conversation with strangers
- Greeting anyone they pass by
- Memorizing pitches day in and day out
- Perfecting the modulation of voice, the inflections, the pauses, and the cadence
- Roleplaying with friends, and mentors, even practicing on strangers
- Getting rejected so you can take note of what doesn’t work
These were all fascinating to hear as stories. But I can only imagine the struggle to do these every day. Now it makes sense how orchestrated it all seemed to look. It took years of deliberate practice.
Clients decide fast if you give them two options.
Customers already have a lot of decisions to make in their lives. Help them decide fast by offering the best two options. Otherwise, they’ll feel overwhelmed, which would result in indecision.
Bear this in mind all throughout the buying process — from setting the appointment to delivering the solution.
Discipline over motivation
Your greatest enemy is yourself, and the battle happens in your mind. If you rely on motivation, you’ll lose the battle half the time because it is temporary. It’s based upon a feeling.
Your mind, just like your muscles, need training. So even if you don’t feel like practicing, you still must show up. This creates discipline, which creates a system for your habits until it becomes second nature. You practice consistently until what feels conscious becomes unconscious.
Brainwash yourself every day
Your self-talk becomes a self-prophecy. If you think sales is not for you, you’re probably right. If you think sales is for you, you’re also probably right. Choose which belief you must feed.
It may sound crazy, but you really do have to fake it till you make it. Get up in the morning, look in the mirror, and be your own cheerleader. Recite your manifestations, enumerate things you’re grateful for, and continue betting on yourself.
Here’s my main key takeaway — make a commitment. Burn the bridges if you must because there’s no turning back.
So, let’s sum it up. These aren’t just fancy tricks; they’re real-world tools you can use to rock your sales game. Imagine getting into your customer’s head, perfecting your moves, and having a mindset that’s ready to grow.
After learning all this, the real challenge begins with taking action and applying what you’ve learned.
Your sales journey is about to get a major boost, starting with what you’ve just learned. Get out there and show the world what you’ve got! ❤
