The most successful sales professionals aren’t necessarily the most experienced ones—they’re the ones who do things differently from all the rest. They don’t just follow what everyone else is doing and expect to get unique results. Superior salespeople demonstrate advanced sales skills that set them apart from all the other reps out there.

Jay Fuchs, editor of the HubSpot sales blog, says that reps who demonstrate advanced sales skills frame themselves as authoritative and helpful guides. They’re not in it to close a deal and move on to the next one—they show that they want to help their clients succeed.

So, what are these advanced selling techniques? We share Fuchs’ thoughts in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Technique No. 1: Helping without being overly friendly. Successful sales reps remember that they’re not friends with their prospects and clients. This may sound cold, but it’s the truth. Any sale is a professional engagement and should be treated as such, says Fuchs.

How to master this technique: You can find a middle ground between helping your clients and maintaining a professional distance by taking a consultative role. Remember that you’re the expert, and you want to use your insight to help them rather than sell to them, Fuchs notes.

Technique No. 2: Creating a customized value proposition. The best sales professionals drill down into the prospect’s unique circumstances and needs. They don’t offer general sentiments or generic pitches. Instead, Fuchs says they convey value specific to the prospect.

How to master this technique: Research thoroughly. Remember that the perfect value proposition doesn’t just appear—you really need to know your stuff. You can do this by digging deep on the prospect’s website to read news releases and bios on company leadership. You should also know what’s going on in the prospect’s industry. Read industry blogs and publications to familiarize yourself.

Technique No. 3: Uncovering hidden pain points. This is an advanced selling technique because it requires an ability to identify unconsidered issues and bring them to light. When you succeed at doing this, you can earn the prospect’s trust and demonstrate that you thoroughly understand their business.

How to master this technique: Work at putting the relationship first—not getting the prospect to sign the deal. Start a conversation with the prospect with some back-and-forth discussion. Balance questions with insights, suggests Fuchs. This will help put your prospects at ease and make them feel comfortable around you.

Technique No. 4: Showing industry-specific knowledge. If you’re working with a prospect in the automotive industry, you need to understand what’s going on in the market. The idea is to show that you’re not just a salesperson, but an expert who knows how trends will shape the prospect’s business.

How to master this technique: Research comes first, and then you can demonstrate your knowledge by sharing industry-specific content. It takes some finesse, notes Fuchs, but the technique can give you some serious clout. Try sending your prospect a helpful fact sheet or recent blog post to master this advanced selling technique.

You can distinguish yourself from others and demonstrate your capabilities by applying the sales techniques above. And remember—just like anything else, the more practice you get, the better you will become.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Jay Fuchs is editor of the HubSpot sales blog.