There’s nothing special or magical about the traits of top salespeople. They’re simple traits, some may even seem obvious – but simple doesn’t mean everyone has them. We’re going to fix that. The first step is identifying the problem. So, let’s look at what traits you need to launch your sales career, and turn you into a sales wizard.
Here they are:
- Upbeat
- Passionate
- Creative
- Empathetic
- Accountable
- Well Prepared
- Tech-Savvy
- Highly Engaged
- Goal Oriented
- Relationship Driven
- Hungry to Succeed
- Competitive
- Multitasking
- Curious
- Good Listener
To begin the career-long process of practicing and implementing these success traits in your life and your career, you need time and patience. Great selling techniques can’t be acquired in a day, but you can start learning them today. So get out there and start becoming the best salesperson of tomorrow.
Attributes of a Great Salesperson
As a leader, the most important job you have is to know your potential team members. So, first things first, get to know who your team is. Who do you have in your department? Who’s the biggest team player? Who’s the biggest problem solver? What traits do your team members have?
Once you know them, it’s time to get a baseline on their attitudes and skills. Take a personality test like YourPersonality.com to get a big-picture idea of your employees’ personalities and ways of thinking. Use this information to create clear roles and objectives. Make sure to mention them often to check in with your team members.
You may notice that your team members, on average, don’t possess all the traits of a sales superstar.
Passionate
Imagine that someone tells you there’s no passion in your life. Would you believe them?
If you’re in sales, you should use passion to your advantage. Passion is an unstoppable force that propels you toward greatness. That’s why we chose this trait as the first on our list.
Do you have the same passion that fueled Michael Jordan in his career? Or Henry Ford in his development of the Model T? Or Mozart in composing the score for the Requiem?
It’s more than a sentiment. It’s an undeniable truth. By calling on your passion, you can be unstoppable, and it can give you the extra push you need to overcome every obstacle in your way.
Empathetic
To be an empathetic salesperson, you need to tune into what the customer wants and needs. The next time you’re in the selling conversation, think about how you can put yourself in the shoes of your customer. Ask yourself:
• What are they really looking to accomplish?
• What really motivates them?
• What questions are they asking?
• Why do they need what they want?
Deeper customer insights can uncover what customers need and want.
Accountable
How can you expect customers to buy from you if you don’t do your own homework and take responsibility for your side of the deal? Success in sales depends on getting the client to trust you. If you want to be successful, then become accountable. When you buy something from someone, you’re signing the paperwork.
“Accountability is a word thrown around the sales industry too casually,” says Shaazri Adams, Co-founder, and CEO of Addictive Intelligence, a sales and leadership training company.
To build a solid business practice, you need accountability — not the feeling of being watched, but the self-imposed requirement of doing what you say you’ll do, every day when no one is looking. Whether that means working on a calendar or sending follow-up emails, committing to your desired outcome and then following through is crucial for sales success. Without this unbreakable bond of accountability, sales can take a serious backseat to anything else.
Well Prepared
You must take time to prepare for each and every sales opportunity.
Tech-Savvy
Business-to-business sales are about buying and selling products and services. It can be a competitive business, though, and these days it’s more competitive than ever. As you know, technology is everywhere. Just like it’s becoming more ubiquitous, so is understanding how the world works and what makes it work. This is the foundation of tech-savvy because it’s the science of business: the answer to what makes businesses grow and survive.
It’s important that you also make use of technology to automate repetitive tasks as a salesperson, so that you become even more productive. For example, to handle commissions, you can implement a commission automation tool, which takes care of all your strenuous commission tasks.
Creative
Being creative is a natural human trait, but few can claim to be very good at it. People who are creative are able to “see” different perspectives in a given situation.
Conclusion
Any successful sales career requires salesmanship. It’s a combination of knowing who you are as a salesperson and believing in yourself, the relationship you build, and the trust you earn. It’s a process that takes hard work and practice. Don’t get frustrated, though, with time, you’ll be the best version of yourself.
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