If you want your team to achieve great success in sales, it would behoove you to cultivate and encourage these characteristics.
What makes a great salesperson stand out from the rest? What traits should you be looking for when hiring new sales representatives? Various research indicates that there are specific attributes that correlate with sales success:
Conscientiousness
This one concept encompasses good qualities such as persistence, dependability, ambitious, focused, and goal-oriented. Sales success is easier to achieve if you are conscientious, setting high expectations for yourself and working hard until you reach your goal. There is no room for procrastination in sales. This study found that conscientiousness was the top indicator of sales rep success.
Coachability
An independent, go-getter attitude is a must for successful sales reps. A self-starter can take a personal initiative and identify the steps needed to reach success. However, their ability to receive constructive criticism and utilize feedback to improve their results – that is key, as found by Mark Roberg, HubSpot’s top Sales Executive.
Passion
Your sales team must have deep belief in what they are selling. If they do not exude passion about the product/service, company’s mission, and their solution, they will not elicit passion in their prospect. A passionate salesperson will create their own opportunities regardless of the environment and evoke feelings in others.
Optimism
Having a “half glass full” attitude will get you far in sales. This is not the career for the faint of heart; you must be confident about your approach and optimistic about your outcome. An exceptional sales rep will learn from defeat rather than taking it personally. They will remain resilient in the face of rejection.
Patience
Take your time. Get comfortable with silence in conversations with prospects. Silence allows your prospect to give consideration to what you say; too much chatter can overwhelm them. Showing empathy towards a prospect can also fall under this category, as this involves your full attention, ability to be a listening ear, and time. A great sales rep will perfect the ability to relate to others on an emotional level. They will never rush a prospect, but will instead take the time to listen, identify, and share stories. You will be successful if you learn about your customers and offer solutions based on what they tell you, and what they don’t tell you.
A successful salesperson will tend to practice these qualities, day after day.
Improve your sales performance by reading our guide on “Why Sales People Fail.” Learn about the Sandler training solutions and read more featured articles to perfect your skills.