How do you discover your sales strengths and weaknesses?

While self-evaluation is important, I think too much time is spent on trying to turn weaknesses into strengths. You should work to mitigate your weaknesses, so they don't detract from your strengths, but turning a weakness into a strength is a tall order. Rather, think about how you can better leverage your current strengths to get even better results. Focus on what you do well and find out how to do more with those talents.

In my experience, self evaluations can only help so much even if the rep is coachable. Honesty will help, but it's much better to use assessments that are backed by data that can identify areas to work on that they weren't aware of. Especially non skill areas like mindset, coachability, responsibility, or excuse making.

In my experience, sales are generally broken down into a process that include multiple steps/benchmarks. One of the best ways to identify and strengthen sales acumen, is first to define the ideal process and then place these benchmarks in a written rubric. This helps the salesperson to analyze the cause and effects of their process, and starts creating a formula for success. To gain greater insight into one's own sales performance, evaluate each presentation/benchmark based on this rubric often, and reevaluate the process. Repetition, evaluation, and making small improvements leads to defined components in the formula for success. I've found that coaching from mentors during this process, yields the greatest growth at an accelerated rates.

We make 80% of our money from helping 20% of our clients therfore focus on using the 80% you do well instead of hours and hours on the 20% you don't do as well and ask for help or outsource that part.

Assessing your individual sales skills should begin with a defined list of what those particular skills are. Depending on your level of experience it may be possible to not recognize all of your strengths and weaknesses. What I suggest is that you look at the individual tasks you perform throughout the day and create a list. Divide this list into interacting with clients and individual efforts. Instead of focusing on a specific time line, asses yourself over a defined number of tasks performed. Document notes before, during and after each task and provide a ranking such as 1-10. Once this list is complete search out peer review through colleagues and managers. I even suggest that you ask your clients for direct feedback.

In my own practice this can be done by coming to terms with what SWOT analysis actually is. We're talking strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. What we want to do is look at this vis-a-vis the environment within which we work and live. That means taking a 360° View of sales cycles, customer styles/personality styles & generally what we do for every single core service/product offering that we present. The better we can internally simulate or mentally war game/roleplay what others will do and think, the better we will be able to figure out how we might have played a role in causing some of this. And we have to be realistic. We have to take an overall position that is the most reasonable of positions

The sales pipeline can be a great tool for objectively identifying strengths and weaknesses. Identifying, creating, and adding qualified opportunities requires a certain set of skills. And, don't overlook attitude and effort in the equation. Efficiently and timely progressing opportunities to maturation requires additional skills. Finally, closing the sale and then successfully implementing the product or service prioritizes still other skills and abilities. Objectively look at your success in these three phases. Identify what is fueling your success and what is holding you back. See where you can further leverage strengths. Sufficiently develop any skills (don't forget attitude or effort) such that they don't hold you back.

In my experience, your sales strengths are going to be measured by the results you achieve. Do a win-loss analysis on which deals you win and why and the ones you lose and why. You could even see if someone on your team can make calls to those contacts involved in the lost deals to see why they went another direction. The insights will be very helpful to improve on your weaknesses.

Study-backed best practices for goal achievement include the following three key actions: -Put your goals in writing -Commit to goal-directed actions -Create accountability. This is best done by identifying an accountability partner. Share your goals and plan. Report your progress and results frequently and consistently. Studies show implementing these best practices has resulted in increasing the likelihood of achieving your goals by 20% to 76%.