Anyone will tell you that doing sales work requires a special kind of person. For office professionals working in a sales office, you often have to become quite sales savvy to be successful in such a position, even though you aren't necessarily out in the field. It's important to be able to relate when assisting a sales team as it can often be very difficult otherwise. A successful sales person should have the following qualities:

• Creativity
• Passion
• Integrity
• Tenacity
• Commitment

Learning sales skills takes time and experience, but that's a luxury most office professionals don't have. Here are 10 tips to help you become effective at sales.

1. Know your Product

When you speak with a prospective client, you never want to have to wait to give them an answer. It is crucial to know your product inside and out. This will help assure the prospect that you can assist them in making good decisions. Be sure to convey that you know not only your own product but the competitive market and how yours will help the prospect's business. You should be a resource.

2. Assemble Materials

Salesteamtools.com suggests you compile a portfolio of sorts for your product. Put materials such as client referrals, testimonials, pictures, specs and test data in it; anything that makes your company look good. Give this portfolio to your prospect to keep. You should also include your business card, but be sure not to waste their time going through each and every piece of the portfolio; it's simply there to back up your pitch.

3. Create a Foundation

A sales person should not go into a deal hoping to walk away with a sale. Each sale takes ground work, research and a relationship. One should always walk into a sales call with that in mind. Create an objective - not to close the deal, but to take the steps to move toward closing the deal.

4. Don't Mention your Product

I know what you're thinking: how can you possibly sell without mentioning your product? The point is to assess your prospects needs before telling them what you have to offer. You need to get to know the prospect and his/her business before you can sell them on your product. Find out what they do, who they serve, what they need, and why they don't currently have it. Once you have this information, it's easy to explain to them how your product can help.

5. Sell with Questions

An effective sales person should never sell with answers to questions. The point is to keep your ears open and mouth shut so that you can intently listen to your prospect. The prospect isn't interested in who you are or where you come from; they want you to think they're valuable. Focus on what and why your prospect wants to buy and you'll be able to learn how to sell them.

6. Rebuttals

Everyone you encounter will have an objection. It's important to be able to alleviate any worries or problems the prospect might have with your product. Create a list of solutions to present to your prospect. It's likely that your sales office has some sort of list of common issues and rebuttals to use with your prospect. Sales are a very calculated and studied line of work; use the existing resources available to you.

7. Follow Up

Once you've established your prospects needs, you'll have to find out what might hold them back from making a decision to purchase your product. Because you've already created a rapport with them and should fully understand them and their business, you should now determine what obstacles may prevent them from making a purchase. It's possible that the company is waiting for a job to be completed to have the money to purchase; they may be going on vacation or any number of reasons may prevent them from purchasing today. It's unlikely that you will close the deal that instant. Part of a sales person's job is following up. If they are going on vacation, schedule another meeting for the day they get back. The same goes for any other issues. It's difficult to forget about you when you're in constant contact.

8. Help Them See the Bottom Line

You can't just tell the prospect what the bottom line is and expect them to accept it. Customers making a big enough purchase that it requires personal attention from a sales representative are naturally skeptical. Be practical in what you can offer them. A great tip to remember is if you can save the prospect time, you can save them money and that this should be a strong selling point.

9. Compare

Never discuss price until you've established a rapport and have assessed the prospects needs. A price almost always sounds high when you rush into it. Furthermore, you should always compare your price to the prices of others, to the money saved by saving time, to the problem your prospect currently has and its financial impact or all three. You'll have to justify every penny, so be prepared.

10. Prepare your Closing

Closing the deal is different from all of the other steps. It takes preparation and rehearsal. It's never a bad idea to prepare your closing on paper and go over it several times. You'll also need to compile a list of possible problems the prospect might have and at least two solutions for each of them. Take your time explaining things to the prospect, but don't make it an unnecessarily long, drawn out presentation.

As an office professional, it's likely you will be required to help your sales team prepare for presentations, help with proposals and compile materials. You will find it's much easier to assist when you understand the relationship between sales person and prospect and how to effectively sell your product. For a first-hand look at the process, many sales people would be more than happy to let you accompany them on sales calls. Don't be afraid to ask them.