16 Traits of Highly Successful Salespeople
Being a successful salesperson isn’t about luck or being born with certain abilities. The fact is that all heavy hitters in the sales world tend to have certain traits in common, most of which can be worked on. To give yourself the chance of joining the upper echelons of the sales world, consider these traits that tend to be found amongst the best in the business.
- Assertive
Being passive غیر فعال or just ‘too nice’ generally means you’re not cut out to be a salesperson. However, being an overly aggressive type isn’t going to help conversions either. The sweet spot that gives you the best of both worlds is being assertive.
It means that you don’t push, but guide. You make your points clearly and with authority, but without conceit or arrogance. You respect the customer, but you don’t respond to every whim either.
(Explanatory)
In different circumstances in friends /offices/sales/business we feel neglected due to behavioral of other people. When we don’t set our boundary and rules we get alienated and get depressed.
Silk worm!
But when are aware of your boundaries and your worth you become more confident and assertive.
7 ways to be more assertive:
- Get in touch with your own needs
When dont have idea get confused
Big stressor
Bad behaviour (why give chance) - Be confident if your Ask is Reasonable
Share tell others what is your demand
Dont get struck up/ open up - See the other person’s point of view
Although you are focused in your asl or demand but when you listen others you may find to compromise where you can compensate. Its way to show empathy that you are not selfish for your gains but want others to be helped too. - Signal flexibility by providing options
Don’t fight but provide options.
Saving to proposed
This will help them to look into other advantages - Keep your delivery calm
Remain cool otherwise will back fire.
Don’t show your body signals nerves and uneasy - Make yourself the scapegoat
Instead of accusing and repeating the blame say i feel and suggest or in my experience is way to be assertive
“Being assertive means making your own decisions about what you will and will not do and accepting the consequences and the responsibility for your behavior.”
We have policy…..
- Use the broken record technique
Calmly repeating the request Use past records to convince - Always Learning
Successful salespeople aren’t born, they are made. You don’t just wake up with a stellar script, abounding confidence, and the knack for getting sales on a consistent basis. It just doesn’t work that way.
2. Always Learning
That’s why those that keep hitting them out of the park tend to not only work hard, but they also make sure they’re always learning. Every call is another opportunity to tweak the way they do things, whether it’s a small alteration to the script or a change in the tone of voice.
- Ambition
If you’re going to find success in sales, you have to have ambition to get ahead in life. You can’t treat a sales job like your average 9 to 5, clocking in and out without giving much thought to what you’re doing. It may sound a little cheesy, but it all comes down to what you decide you want to make of it.
- Open-Minded
You will never learn or improve if you can’t take criticism. Always try and broaden your horizons by looking at others, learning from them at every opportunity. Don’t get angry if someone points out a flaw, but instead strive to make improvements. Don’t make decisions based on rash emotional responses, but have a level head and accept the fact that there are several different ways of achieving the same thing.
- Incredible Work Ethic
Just like anywhere else, success is built on a strong work ethic. You can have all of the ‘natural’ qualities that are attributed to the high-flyers but if you don’t put in the hours, you’ll never get anywhere.
Successful salespeople are in the office before anyone else and leave when the lights are about to go out. They use their hours carefully and gear everything towards improvement and driving up those numbers. You don’t always have to work late, but when you’re in the office never give less than 100%.
- Take Responsibility
Successful salespeople have a strong sense of responsibility. They never point fingers, blaming someone else for their low numbers or lack of conversions. Ultimately, failure can usually be attributed to the individual, not their circumstances.
- Set Goals
Without goals, you’ll never move forward. Those who do well in sales are always thinking about where they want to get, whether that’s on a daily or monthly basis. The goals are specific, challenging yet achievable, and once they’re attained, successful people always move to the next one.
Set your Goals for higher achievements.
- Good Listeners
We always picture salespeople as being a confident and chatty bunch. And while that’s certainly true in most cases, it doesn’t mean that there’s no room for listening. The best salespeople in the business know when to shut up and listen.
Listening not only allows for relationship building between the salesperson and the client, but it also opens up your options. You can listen for clues that can help you as you go along. Rather than spouting off from a script, change up your spiel according to what the customer tells you.
- Being Aware
As a salesperson, you need to be acutely aware of your shortcomings. If you know your voice is a little high-pitched, make an effort to go low. Are you a fast talker? Record yourself and work on slowing things down. Having that awareness allows you to take advantage of your plus points and build on those that you’re a little weaker on.
- Know their Stuff
You can’t expect to convince someone to buy your product or service if you don’t know it inside and out, with every painstaking detail stored in your very own memory bank. Successful salespeople don’t need to look at a spec list, nor do they read off a script in monotone fashion.
Consumers weren’t born yesterday. They can tell a robotic call-centre salesperson from a knowledgeable expert a mile away, especially if you’re operating in a niche industry. Don’t be another lemming, but have in-depth knowledge of what you’re offering the consumer.
- Networkers
The best in the business are invariable good networkers. If you want to be good at your job, you need to build relationships in the industry you operate in. You want to learn from the best, create bonds with potential clients, and you’ll even make a few friends along the way.
- Have a Reason for Every Action
Many would-be salespeople claim to work hard, but they don’t have a clear plan with everything they do. Instead, they work tirelessly but like headless chickens. This will certainly make you feel like you’re working hard, but you won’t get the results you’re looking for.
You should always combine that strong work ethic with excellent time management and working with a purpose. Plan your time accordingly and use it effectively. Putting in the hours won’t mean anything if you don’t use them properly.
- Accurate
Successful salespeople aren’t just swashbuckling types that ignore the details. On the contrary, they are extremely accurate and diligent when producing reports. They always pay attention to the numbers and the details, which in turn helps when balancing the books and improving long-term performance.
- Proactive and Positive
If things are slow or if you’ve taken a financial hit, don’t let your head hang for too long. Successful salespeople know that the slow periods define their achievements, which means that they never make excuses or start moaning.
Remain Positive
Instead, they remain positive and proactive. They pick up that phone and keep on calling, encouraging the entire team to do the same. They don’t let the circumstances affect their mood or willingness to make the sale.
- Control Over Emotions
Have you ever seen a successful person lose their temper at inappropriate moments? Or be overly negative when something’s gone south? The answer is a clear ‘no’.
Highly successful salespeople have their emotions in a tight grip at all times. Continued failure doesn’t bring them down, nor do unexpected turns heighten nervousness or panic. Keep your emotions in check, understand how you work, and ensure you’re always the one in the driving seat.
- Never Give Up Attitude
The greatest myth in sales is that those who are good at it have exceptionally high conversion rates. While it’s certainly true that they do better than your average sales rookie, the conversion numbers are often glaringly low. But that doesn’t matter.
When it comes to sales, it’s all about quantity and making those calls day after day, hour after hour. It’s about never giving up, no matter how many angry hang-ups or obscenities are being thrown at you. It’s about going back to the drawing board when you’ve had a few too many rejections. Don’t ever be discouraged; just keep on trucking and success will come your way.
………..,,
Some salespeople enjoy the thrill of the chase.
Gone are the days when you could sell a product or operate a business and people would beat a path to your door. There’s tremendous competition in the global marketplace, and consumers can purchase a product from anywhere in the world. Today, you must go out and round up the business to be successful. If you’re a sales professional and want to hone your skills, or if you want to motivate your sales staff, adopt a more assertive approach.
Overcome Your Fear
If you’re uncomfortable making sales calls, the sales industry is probably not for you. Call reluctance is common among salespeople, and these types of people are usually people-pleasers, according to life coach Connie Kadansky. They seek approval and lack assertiveness. But if you can overcome your fear and make the calls, you can create leads, appointments and sales. Develop an assertive sales demeanor by showing genuine interest in your client. Ask questions and sharpen your listening skills.
Winning Attitude
Project a winning attitude and don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Many salespeople get beaten down by rejection; instead, treat it as a prime opportunity to provide information that will help your clients understand why they need your products or services.
Know Your Product
Before you make a single sales call or appointment, know your product inside and out. Motivation begins with a passionate belief in what you’re selling. When you have confidence, it transmits over the phone. If you’re not enthusiastic about the product or service, it comes off as a lack of faith in the product.
Practice
Before visiting a potential customer, prepare and polish your sales presentation. Practice your sales pitch at every opportunity. As you gain more experience, your presentations become better, giving you more confidence to be assertive.
Be Assertive, Not Aggressive
Everyone has experienced the pushy salesperson who won’t take no for an answer, and there’s a fine line between assertive and aggressive. If you exhibit aggressive behavior, it can turn off and intimidate your prospective customer. Assertiveness, on the other hand, is the act of acknowledging your customer’s needs and conveying with confidence the benefits of your product or service. Some traits of assertive behavior are calmness, positivity, enthusiasm and honesty. Aggressive salespeople may exhibit irrational, fake, intimidating or manipulative behavior.
Body Language
Your body language reveals a lot about you. When meeting your prospective client, speak with him on the same level. If he’s sitting, you should sit; if he’s standing, stand in front of him. Reflect his body language and tone of voice back to him. Once you have created a bond, he should be following or modeling after you.
What Are the Key Goals that I Should Set for my Sales Team?
SALES LEADERSHIP
The Canadian Professional Sales Association
Clear and tangible goals allow your sales people to aim for excellence and measure their progress along the way. However that doesn’t mean that goals have to be just about hitting numbers. Managers often only consider assessing goals that directly relate to revenue, but what about the ones that benefit your revenue in the long run?
There are several goals that are worth assessing depending on your business goals. You should aim to set goals around productivity, revenue generation, as well as personal and professional development. Really get to understand your sales people, and what is holding them back from becoming top performers. Set goals around identified areas for improvement in order to support them in becoming better.
Keep in mind that simply setting and monitoring goals is not enough to produce development in your team. You must provide guidance and support in helping them achieve these goals, as well as praise for their determination and perseverance. At the end of the day, monitoring all of these areas will enable to you manage and retain a strong and cohesive sales team that consists of intensely self-aware professionals who will provide you with the best results.
Examples of questions to ask around various goals:
Productivity:
- How many new leads did you generate this week?
- How many follow-up calls did you make this week?
- How many quickly were you able to move through the sales cycle on average for the sales you made this week?
- How many large accounts vs. one-offs did you engage this week?
Revenue generation:
- How many conversions did you see this week?
- Total dollar value for sales made this week?
- New dollar amount for sales in pipeline this week?
Personal Development:
- What new personal habits did you develop/reduce this week to increase productivity?
- What coping methods did you employ this week to deal with all the Nos you’ve encountered
- How have you worked on developing a more positive attitude?
Professional Development:
- Which webinars have you attended this month
- What new industry/product knowledge/insights have you gained recently
- Which sales training courses are you planning on taking
- Assertiveness is the ability to stand up for your own rights and beliefs in a way that is respectful of others. It is a key trait for salespeople, as it allows them to build rapport with customers and close deals.
- Always Learning is another important trait for salespeople. The sales landscape is constantly changing, so it is important for salespeople to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies.
- Ambition is also a key trait for salespeople. Salespeople need to be driven and motivated to succeed. They need to have a clear goal in mind and be willing to work hard to achieve it.
- Open-Mindedness is important for salespeople, as they need to be willing to listen to the needs of their customers. They also need to be open to new ideas and approaches.
- Incredible Work Ethic is essential for salespeople. They need to be willing to put in the long hours and hard work necessary to succeed.
- Take Responsibility is another important trait for salespeople. They need to be willing to take responsibility for their actions and results. They also need to be able to learn from their mistakes.
- Set Goals is important for salespeople, as it gives them something to strive for. They need to set realistic and achievable goals, and they need to be willing to track their progress.
- Good Listeners are essential for salespeople. They need to be able to listen to their customers’ needs and concerns. They also need to be able to ask clarifying questions.
- Being Aware of their own strengths and weaknesses is important for salespeople. They need to be able to capitalize on their strengths and work on their weaknesses.
- Know their Stuff is essential for salespeople. They need to be able to answer their customers’ questions about their products or services. They also need to be able to explain the benefits of their products or services.
- Networkers are successful salespeople. They need to be able to build relationships with potential clients and partners.
- Have a Reason for Every Action is important for salespeople. They need to be able to justify their actions and decisions. They also need to be able to explain the benefits of their actions.
- Accurate is important for salespeople. They need to be able to provide accurate information to their customers. They also need to be able to track their results and measure their success.
- Proactive and Positive is important for salespeople. They need to be able to take initiative and stay positive, even when faced with challenges.
- Control Over Emotions is important for salespeople. They need to be able to control their emotions, especially when faced with rejection.
- Never Give Up Attitude is essential for salespeople. They need to be able to persevere, even when faced with setbacks.
Compiled by: Mohammad Ifrahim Butt.
