There comes a time in every consultant’s life when for some unknown reason they feel the need to document their thoughts on the defining characteristics of successful sales people. Well, now it’s my time.
This is a very challenging question to answer. We’re all biased and see the world through the lens of our own experience. No one persons view can ever compare to a rigorous scientific trial or experiment. But it certainly can add flavour and depth. Especially in a field where there haven’t been to many rigorous studies performed.
I’ve worked with salespeople from over 20 different countries – so at least my observations are based on a broad and diverse sample.
So here is my list of the top 4 characteristics of great salespeople.
1. Passion. It’s almost impossible to successfully sell a product or service you don’t really believe in and that you’re not really passionate about.
It’s sometimes joked that if you can fake sincerity you’ve got it made. But I’ve found that almost no one can fake real passion for what they sell. Somehow, some way, customers just pick up on it. What do you do if you’re not passionate about your products? Either get passionate (talking to customer about how they benefit from your product is a good start), get another product you can be passionate about, or get out of sales.
2. Likeability. Being liked is the foundation of being trusted. Its how relationships start.
Of course, it is possible to tryst someone without liking them. But it’s rare.
3. Resilience. Pretty much the only thing that can be guaranteed in sales is that you will face rejection. And often. Successful sellers just can’t afford to need everyone to love them. They need a think skin.
4. Willingness and Energy to Learn. The world is changing at an ever increasing pace. Successful salespeople must keep up with this. They must adapt to new technologies, new approaches to meet and build relationships with customer. And to keep learning.
So that’s my little shortlist. Passion, likeability, resilience and continuous learning. If you’ve got a good measure of each of these, you’ll be a great success in sales.
Ian Brodie helps professional service firms to improve their selling skills and win new business. To get a free copy of Ian’s ebook on how to get more referrals, sign up to his newsletter on how to get more clients.
