Almost every writer on marketing and sales and some time comes round to the tricky question of what makes a great salesperson.
Of course, this is a very risky proposition. Inevitably, we all see the world through our own biases and prejudices. No individual’s personal view on the characteristics of great salespeople (or great anything) can ever really compare with a more rigorous, scientific study. But often, it’s the insights from the experience of individuals that informs and triggers the studies and eventually leads to firmer, more evidence-based conclusions.
And in my case, I’ve worked with salespeople from multiple cultures and from over 20 different countries – so my view is at least based on a broad sample.
So here is my list of the top 4 characteristics of great salespeople.
1. Passion. It’s a characteristic that’s been highlighted many times before, but which is nonetheless vital. My experience has been that the fundamental characteristic all great salespeople share is an absolute belief and passion in the product or service they are selling. That passion infects customers and makes a major difference in the trust they place in the salesperson.
it’s sometimes said that “if you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made”. But in my experience, it just doesn’t work that way. Customers quickly see through this and realize you can’t be trusted. if you’re not passionate about your products and services you need to find that passion, or find other products and services to sell.
2. Likability. If your customer don’t like you, the conversation very rarely gets any further. It’s the starting point for trust and relationship building.
Of course, it is possible to tryst someone without liking them. But it’s rare.
3. Resilience. Rejection is endemic to sales. It’s something every salesperson faces almost day in, day out. So if you need everyone to love you, sales is probably not the career for you.
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.
If you can build your skills in all these areas you’ll be well on your way to a super successful career in sales.
Ian Brodie helps professional service firms to get better at selling their services. 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.