ItAca,!a,,cs been said that to be a successful agent, not only do your listening skills have to be great, but your closing skills have to be even better. However, I believe that although these skills are helpful, they are not essential. In my opinion, to be a top-performing agent over the long-term, you must be a great leader. Leadership is a fundamental character trait of the most successful salespeople. Although weAca,!a,,cve all known agents who have had stellar years based on the luck of a few great clients, those with sustained, long-term success always exhibit great leadership skills.

What is a leader? Leaders are people who empower others to do seemingly impossible things, whether individually or as part of a group. They help people see issues and opportunities they would not normally see themselves. Most importantly, they instill a level of confidence in people that make them pro-active in dealing with situations they otherwise would be hesitant to handle.

These leadership traits are essential for top-performing agents to exhibit in their jobs on a daily basis. By demonstrating these qualities to your prospects and clients, you are communicating your value to them. They will see that you have their best interest in mind and are not out to just Aca,!A"make a sale.Aca,!? You will create the confidence they need to desire to do business with you. These character traits are what drive a 25 year-old just starting out to see the importance of buying life insurance as both an investment tool and a Aca,!A"peace of mindAca,!? policy. Similarly, these same qualities can give the assurance a client needs to trust your financial planning strategies. Agents who see themselves as leaders are far more likely to provide the client with the services necessary to help them achieve their long-term goals.

Top-performing agents understand how positioning themselves as a leader can further their success. Since the best way to sell a policy is to an existing customer, it only makes sense to display leadership with all of your clients. In addition, because the best new clients often come from referrals, your existing customers will be much more apt to confidently recommend you. In my past work with agents, IAca,!a,,cve observed that agents who behave as leaders are less likely to have to use multiple closing techniques to secure a policy. I firmly believe that the higher the degree of leadership in an agent, the less time spent on closing the policy. Similarly, the opposite holds true, and the result is a loss of valuable time.

Over the years, I have come to believe that Aca,!A"sales is leadership and leadership is sales.Aca,!? The more salespeople I work with, the more I confirm the validity of this statement. Although itAca,!a,,cs important to work on both your ability to listen and your closing techniques, fostering your leadership skills is far more essential. Begin today to set yourself apart from the competition by positioning yourself as a leader to your employees, your clients, and your prospects.

Mark Hunter, Aca,!A"The Sales HunterAca,!?, is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.

Reprinting of this article is welcomed as long as the following is included: Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter", www.TheSalesHunter.com, A,(C) 2009