15 characteristics of truly successful sales people
TRANSCRIPT
15 Characteristics Of Truly Successful Salespeople
What makes you great at sales? While not every salesperson fits a specific mold,
entrepreneur.com noted 15 characteristics- learned or innate- that the most successful reps share.
1. Conscientious
Stay thorough, efficient, and organized. Plan your day and be prepared for every interaction
with prospects, customers, and teammates.
2. Respectful
Respect the time of prospects and customers. People are busy and don’t want to waste time, so
take advantage of every second with a carefully crafted demo and great questions.
3. Self-starting
Act quickly and take initiative. Great sales reps adjust on the fly and don’t
wait for direction or need to constantly run new ideas by their manager.
4. Able to listen
Ask questions and listen. Even though salespeople love to talk, don’t dominate
the conversation explaining specific features. Instead, ask about a prospect’s needs and let them talk about
themselves and their business.
5. Persistent
Don’t let objections stop you. You need thick skin as a sales person, be kind
and always try to help your prospects by approaching the sale in a way suited to them.
6. Coachable
Coachability trumps all in a new hire. Being an early adopter of suggestions and a
good listener are essential sales qualities.
7. Positive
Get people excited about your product. After all, you’re enhancing their business. Show them you’re different from an traditional sales rep and that
you care by bringing positive energy to every conversation.
8. Resourceful
Be quick on your feet with questions and objections. Switch gears smoothly when you encounter resistance. This
takes practice, so anticipate common objections and be prepared to handle them.
9. Passionate
Stay excited and happy to share your product. As long as you’re bought in, every opportunity to share
a great tool should be exciting.
10. Inquisitive
Asking questions and listening go hand in hand. Even more importantly, learn to ask the right questions that
prompt high level responses and lead prospects to come to realize the importance of your product on their own.
11. Independent
Being self-motivated is a pivotal skill. Working on commission means that you get what
you put in. Make sure that you don’t need a manager to constantly hold your hand. Instead, go out and
make opportunities happen.
12. Efficient
Time management is crucial to your routine. The more time you save, the more time you can spend
having meaningful conversations and closing deals.
13. Driven
The drive to overachieve separates great reps from the rest of the pack.
Whether it’s at 6 AM or 10 PM, the more demos you complete, the more you help your company, your customer, and yourself.
14. Personable
Don’t be a drone. Learn to mesh with different types of people and know how to approach sales with each. It’s easier
to sell to a friend than a stranger, so establish some personality early on.
15. Alert
Stay on the ball. It’s almost impossible to be engaged if you’re not alert.
Get enough sleep, and stay active so you can be an active listener, stay positive, and close deals.
