The skill every salesperson should have in their SEEK Profile

Tony Pownall, General Manager of Hudson Recruitment in Auckland believes every good salesperson needs to be able to negotiate and close a sale effectively. By including this in your SEEK profile, you’ll boost your chances of attracting the right employers and landing your next big sales role.


Here’s how to do it:

• Use clear and correct terminology. Negotiating and closing a sale (which Pownall admits is actually two skills), is also understood as “converting a lead or opportunity” in the sales world, and is an integral part of the sales process. A great way to include this in your SEEK profile is to write, “I am an experienced salesperson in the retail sector with a proven track record of converting leads into sales.”
  
   
• Place it in the right spots. Start by adding the terms ‘negotiating’, ‘closing a sale’ or ‘converting leads into sales’ to the two to three sentences of your Personal summary underneath your name and personal details, just as we have done in our first example above. Your Personal summary is the very first impression an employer will gain from your profile, so make it count.
  
  
  Then in the Career history section you can elaborate on these skills and explain where and how you’ve applied them to each role you’ve worked in. Finally, the Skills & qualifications section is a great place to use that industry terminology while helping employers find you when they’re using the same language in their search. Terms such as ‘relationship-building’, ‘confidence’ and ‘persuasive’ are all relevant to negotiating and closing a sale.
  
  
  You should approach your SEEK profile as a pursuit in personal branding, so it’s a good idea to refer to your skill set using the same language in your profile as is contained in your attached resume.
  
   
• Why negotiating and closing a sale are important skills for a salesperson. Without being able to negotiate and close a sale, you can’t make more money for the business which is ultimately the objective of a salesperson.
  
  
  Pownall believes that many people fall short when asking for business and Kiwis are not good at saying no, so will instead end the conversation by saying they’ll “call back in a month”. A better outcome requires the ability to take someone who’s sitting on the fence and change his or her mind. “It’s about uncovering a problem that your products and services can solve, and leading the client down the path to commit to buying.”
  
  
  “If you’ve won their rapport, uncovered the problem and discussed the final step (suggesting how you can fix it), you’re on the path to sales success.” Now all you have to do is present your mastery in your SEEK profile.

It doesn’t take long to attract the right employers and opportunities. Make sure your SEEK profile clearly shows you can negotiate and close a sale, and include it throughout your SEEK profile now.

Well, what are you waiting for? Update your SEEK profile today!

Make sure your SEEK profile clearly shows you have business development skills, and include them throughout your SEEK profile now.