5 Golden Rules of Selling

Rule 1: Maintain Integrity and Honesty

Beyond never talking down the competition or sharing what you shouldn't, a salesperson should never lie. A lie tends to come back on you, and once your word is damaged it can take a long time to win back the trust you lost. Your word belongs to you, and only you can choose to damage it.

Keep your word no matter what. That means sometimes you won't sell a product to someone because it isn't in their best interest. People notice, and they send business to the salespeople they know are honest.

Rule 2: Believe in Your Product

If you don't believe in your product, you shouldn't sell it. Life's too short to go home every night knowing you sold something you wouldn't buy yourself.

Take the time up front to understand your product's quality and what sets it apart. If it's a common product with little difference from what others sell, then you have to be the difference, providing quality service customers can't get anywhere else.

If your product is inferior, you can't sell it with a clear conscience. You'd be better off building something better or going to work for the company that sells the better product.

Rule 3: Believe in Your Employer

Work hard for your employer, whether or not you always agree with them. They took a chance by hiring you and trusted you with their customers, and in some cases they're counting on your sales to keep the business growing.

Show that you appreciate the opportunity. Being the boss isn't easy, so do what you can to make your manager's job easier, and you'll likely find they do the same for you.

You owe it to your employer to work hard and earn what they're paying you. If you can't, it's better for everyone to be open about it. Staying in a role where you aren't succeeding wears on you, and it sends the wrong message to the rest of the team. Moving on can be hard at first, but it opens the door for someone eager to help the company succeed, and it gives you the chance to find a role that plays to your strengths, where you're more likely to be happy and keep growing.

Rule 4: Believe in and Invest in Yourself

If your best competitor keeps learning and you don't, you'll fall behind. Set aside time and money each year to build your skills and stay current on your products and your customers' industries.

New skills build confidence, and your employer will notice the effort. Some opportunities only go to people who prepared for them ahead of time, so keep learning now and you'll be ready when the next one comes along.

Rule 5: Believe in Working Hard

Success in sales takes steady work, and working hard and smart is what moves your numbers. When you put in the effort, you know it, and that gives you confidence to keep pushing forward.

Hard work also sets an example. When your team sees you making the extra calls and following up on every lead, they tend to raise their own effort. So when the next promotion opens up, who will the employer look at first? Most likely the person who gets things done and helps others do the same, and that can be you.