Top 5 Characteristics of Great Salespeople

Home
>
Sales Training
>
Top 5 Characteristics of Great Salespeople

Top 5 Characteristics of Great Salespeople

I am a big believer that great salespeople generally realize their greatness, rather than being borne that way. OK, sure we've all heard somebody in sales who told us that they've been in sales all their life. It all started when they were a kid, selling lemonade from their lemonade stand for a dime, or selling magazines door to door. But this is really more a reflection of the family environment that they grew up in that may have encouraged or necessitated this than anything else. Even if you didn't sell seeds or magazine subscriptions door to door as a kid, you still have a chance at greatness in sales.

I gave this topic some thought because of a call I received today from one of my readers. She mentioned how the perception she had of salespeople growing up, was different than what she felt were her own personal strengths. So I thought today, that I'd share with you what I believe to be the primary characteristics of outstanding salespeople.

#1 - Results Focused

If you are selling for someone else, what they care about most is whether or not you get the sales that they ask for (i.e. did you make your quota or not). One of best things about being a salesperson is you have a tremendous amount of freedom and discretion in how you use your time. In return, you must be able to stay focused on the big picture and not let small problems or dramas distract you. If you sell for yourself and you are not focused on results, then you are not in business.

#2 - Courageous

We all experience fear at one time or another. Great salespeople are courageous in that they are able to act and move forward even in the presence of their own fears. Fear is the reaction we have when you know that you need to do something or that something is going to happen soon that you are not prepared for. This could be making cold calls or making a major decision that you believe to be right when you know that your management will not agree with you.

#3 - High Energy

This one is really simple. Despite all the lame jokes about salespeople being out on the golf course all the time, top performers work their asses off. Being able to kick-back and work 30 hours a week while making quota may sound great. But the true top-performers got that way by working long and hard to beat out their competition while the other guys were boozin' it on the golf course. In short, you must be able to do "Whatever It Takes" to get to the top.

#4 - Knows People

Of all the characteristics that people attribute to salespeople, this is the one the one that people are most often talking about when they describe a "natural". The ability to establish rapport and maintain rapport is probably the single most powerful skill a salesperson can have. The most flexible people can adapt and establish rapport with others from a multitude of backgrounds and cultures. The longer you can maintain rapport with more people, the more chances you will have to ask questions, uncover opportunities, and present solutions that make sales. And as with everything else in sales, this skill can actually be learned.

#5 - Committed To Growth

Great salespeople got that way by always looking for a better way. They are always improving their approach, their techniques, and their attitude. There are many philosophies on what the *best* approach to sales is. Some work better than others depending on one's own personal style, the product you're selling, and the customers that you sell to. Great salespeople know that they must look for the best examples of excellence, and adopt the individual aspects of this that they can use.

So what got left out of this list? The two words we've probably heard more often than others to describe salespeople are "aggressive" and "enthusiastic". The first definition in my dictionary for aggressive includes the word hostile in it. I don't know anyone these days who can effectively sell in a hostile manner to their customers. Customers are not enemy territory to be "taken". As for enthusiasm, I believe it has a time and a place. If you run around like a cheer-leader for your company all the time, you'll annoy people, and you probably won't be listening very well. Bottom line is both of these words describe behavior that can destructive to the lifeblood of sales, building and maintaining rapport.

Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

In The News:

Mass shootings are a 'national embarrassment' that needs to stop, Joe Biden warns
Sat, 17 Apr 2021 01:21:00 +0100
Joe Biden has described mass shootings as a "national embarrassment" that has to end.

Elon Musk's SpaceX wins $2.9bn NASA contract to send humans to the moon
Fri, 16 Apr 2021 22:22:00 +0100
Elon Musk's private space company SpaceX has won a $2.9bn (£2.1bn) NASA contract to build a spacecraft to put humans on the moon.

World's smallest police dog dies hours after the sheriff she served beside
Fri, 16 Apr 2021 23:34:00 +0100
A sheriff and his tiny police dog have died on the same day.

Two passengers sue airline after plane engine catches fire in mid-air
Sat, 17 Apr 2021 03:12:00 +0100
Two passengers are suing United Airlines after the engine of the plane they were on caught fire in mid-air.

Batches of 50 to 100 Uighur workers are being advertised on the Chinese internet
Thu, 15 Apr 2021 14:32:00 +0100
Uighur people from Xinjiang working in other parts of China are subject to "political" checks and work under strict "half-military" style management, according to new evidence discovered by Sky News.

tikatoshop.it

Erfahrungen mit Pallhuber Wein
Agen Bola SBOBET Terpercaya

Travel in comfort and at your leisure with CT Airlink Limousine & Car Service for top quality private transportation and exceptional customer service. We operate Sedans, SUVs & Vans for CT Car Services to covering all Connecticut airports including Car Service from CT to Newark Airport , Mohegan Casino Uncasville CT, Foxwoods Casino Mashantucket CT, Manhattan Cruise Terminal NYC, Brooklyn Cruise Terminal NYC and Bayonne Cruise Terminal NJ. CT Airlink hire licensed and friendly chauffeurs who have in-depth knowledge of the Areas.