When sales managers are here for company meetings, enhancing sales team efficiency and high sales team turnover rates are invariably on the agenda. When they examine their sales forces and read articles in Sales and Marketing Management journal, they tend to ‘accept’ that just 20% of the sales team is responsible for 80% of all sales. The high turnover of less efficient salespeople is acknowledged as an unavoidable cost of running a sales force. This is not the case.
So, what makes a good, successful sales person?
Good salespeople have a distinct set of personality traits that allow them to succeed due to the nature of their job. The true value of a salesperson is known instantly by the bottom-line results, so poor sales performance cannot be hidden. To be successful in sales, you must be a unique person. Some of the essential key qualities are:
- Listening Skills
A successful salesperson must be able to meet the demands of their customers. Listening to what each prospect has to suggest is the only way to find out what they are. The most effective salespeople don’t always chat.
- Empathy
A successful salesperson understands how to empathize with their clients. They know how to market a product or service by getting into a prospect’s brain. Empathy is an ideal way to predict a customer’s needs.
- Competitivity
Successful salespeople enjoy comparing themselves to their colleagues. They are, in a word, competitive. They don’t just want to get better at what they do; they want to succeed at it. They aspire to be better than their peers.
- Ability to Network
Networking is something that all good salespeople enjoy doing. They participate in their culture and maintain a variety of business partnerships. For them, networking isn’t so much a part of their job as it is a way, they like to spend their time.
- Self-assurance
It is important that they believe in the product or service they are offering. That exudes an infectious sense of confidence, making customers want to buy more.