Over the past 10 years, I've had in-depth conversations with almost 100 sales gurus. If I were to boil down their advice to the absolute basics, the result would the following essential sales skills.

1. Researching Prospects

Chances are your prospect knows plenty about you, your firm and your competition.  In order to add real value, you'll need to know even more about the prospect, the prospect's business and the prospect's own customers.

2. Planning Meetings

Every contact with a prospect or customer should end in some kind of commitment from the customer—an agreement to do something that will move the process forward.  This is only possible if you plan carefully to make it happen.

3. Rapport Building

The first decision that every buyer makes is: "Do I want to do business with this person?"  To create that all-important instant connection, you've got be curious, personable and really care about the people you're trying to help.

4. Asking Questions

If you can't satisfy a customer's real needs, you can't make a sale. And if you don't ask the right questions–or if you ask them the wrong way–you'll never know what the customers really need, and therefore will never be able to help.

5. Active Listening

This is even more important than asking the right questions. When customers are talking, it's not enough to keep your mouth closed. You've also got to keep your mind open to discover ways to truly be of service.

6. Presenting Solutions

This means creating and describing a specific solution to previously agreed-upon needs.  Note: It is the exact opposite of a sales pitch, which is a one-size-fits-all way to say "all I care about is making a sale."

7. Closing

All of the above is completely pointless if the activity doesn't eventually result in some sales.  If you don't ask for the business at some point, it's not going to happen. So learn how to ask.

8. Relationship Building

Your short-term goal is to walk "arm in arm" with the customer as they arrive at the best possible solution. Your long-term goal is to become part of that customer's essential business network ... and vice versa.

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