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Why are some salespeople better than others? Some salespeople are clearly experts at developing, pitching and closing, while others are merely order takers; and then there are those who simply don’t produce. Successful salespeople all share some basic core competencies like:
THEY HAVE WRITTEN GOALS THAT ARE S.M.A.R.T. Specific, Measurable, Achievable/Attainable, have a Responsible party & are Resourced and are Time bound. Good sales people are committed to achieving their goals.
In having these written goals, successful salespeople know what must be done, why it must be done and by when it must be done. They follow the plan, debrief after sales calls, etc. and have a number of checkpoints. Additionally, successful salespeoples’ plans include ways to deal with obstacles that get in the way.
THEY HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. The successful salesperson has a positive attitude towards themselves, their company and the market; they want to learn and grow and they have a great attitude about the value the product/service and the company they represent has to offer.
Their positive attitude also includes taking responsibility for their actions. They accept challenges, know that there will be failures, face things head on and don’t blame others.
Successful salespeople also have strong self-confidence, good supportive beliefs and they tend to keep their emotions in check; they don’t let rejection impact their self-image and self-esteem.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. Successful salespeople are comfortable talking about money. They bring it up early and often and know the importance of margins and profitability. Oh, and the obvious, good salespeople are motivated by money.
THEY LISTEN AND ASKS LOTS OF QUESTIONS. Successful salespeople invest time and energy into listening and questioning the prospective customer. A keen ear ensures that the salesperson understand the customer’s pain points and thus offers them the right solution.
These are a few of the traits you will find in successful salespeople; but perhaps the most important trait that top performers all have is that they are committed to success and are willing to work hard to achieve it.
Let us know. Do your salespeople have these traits? What other advantageous traits do they have? What traits are they missing? Let us know if you need assistance getting the right sales team in place.
By Blair Koch
