Sean Huckstep 12 Characteristics that will make you a more successful sales rep
There are a lot of characteristics that make a salesperson successful, but there are some virtues that help boost a reps ability to become a top contender in the industry. While these 12 characteristics are not the only personality traits a salesperson needs, they are 12 of the most important characteristics to develop or maintain.
Here they are:
- Empathetic
- Prioritizes Honesty
- Focused
- Has Grititudosity
- Always Remains Confident
- Has Humility
- Resilient
- Friendly
- Relationship Oriented
- Always Well Prepared
- Uses Their Creativity
- Has Passion
Let’s get right into it.
#1 Empathetic
While empathy is an important characteristic for anyone, sales reps especially need to prioritize this personality trait. Having strong empathy towards others will show your customers that you genuinely care about their thoughts, wants, and needs.
#2 Prioritizes Honesty
Having integrity is a universal characteristic appreciated by everyone—especially your customers. The best sales reps are honest in both their intentions and their tactics. They understand their product or service’s limitations just as much as its benefits. They don’t over-promise benefits or downplay legitimate concerns. The best reps present their solution as it is and demonstrate why it will work for their prospects without lies.
#3 Focused
Great salespeople know exactly what they want, when they want it, and who they want it from. This single-minded focus gives them impressive control over the sales process inevitably leading to success in any professional situation. A focused sales rep logs their goals, sales, and data about their customers to guide their future sales efforts.
#4 Has Grititudosity
If you’re not familiar with this characteristic, let me explain. Grit-i-tood-os-i-tee is a noun that our company lives by. This word is three characteristics that each salesperson needs: grit, gratitude, and curiosity. All three of these traits have personally developed SalesRabbit, our employees, and our customers.
#5 Always Remains Confident
Confidence is contagious, if you’re confident as a salesperson any lead will be able to recognize that characteristic and will reflect a confidence in you and your product. There are a lot of ways to boost your confidence levels and be the best salesperson you can. Using any of these tips and whatever works for you personally will help you in any professional and personal setting.
#6 Has Humility
Having humility doesn’t mean you can’t be a confident salesperson. Confidence in sales is key, but so is humility. Demonstrating some humility to your bosses, coworkers, and customers when appropriate will make sure you look like a well-rounded and mature rep.
#7 Resilient
A familiar word to any sales rep is “no.” Rejection is a common theme in sales for various reasons, but that means sales reps need to learn to move past rejection and not take it personally. When you can move past a customer telling you what you don’t want to hear and continue to build a relationship with them, you’ll appear professional and mature to anyone.
#8 Friendly
Being friendly doesn’t mean you have to be an extroverted person, introverts can be friendly too. The characteristic of being friendly means you can connect with many people in simple conversation and be easy to talk to. No customer wants to struggle through an awkward conversation with a salesperson, so work on your people skills so you get comfortable talking to anyone in general, not just sales related conversations.
#9 Relationship Oriented
Sales is inherently relationship-oriented. When done right, it’s a matter of establishing connections and building trust with prospects and peers. And the best sales reps have the authenticity, empathy, and motivation to do that on a consistent basis. Top-selling salespeople can add a personal element to their engagements, conversations, and deals. Building relationships with your customers and coworkers is a great way to close sales but more importantly become a confidant and trustworthy contact.
#10 Always Well Prepared
This isn’t just a motto for the Boy Scouts of America. Top-performing reps research their prospects and, in turn, know how to best personalize and articulate their value proposition. They also have the proper materials they’ll need on hand and consider potential objections ahead of time. There’s no such thing as being “too prepared” in the world of sales.
#11 Uses Their Creativity
Creativity is a trait that many (if not all) people have, but many don’t use. Creativity is important in sales. You may not think so, because creativity is often associated with writers and artists, but it’s true. The top performers in sales look at things differently. Their creative thinking and analytical skills enable them to offer solutions that others just don’t see.
#12 Has Passion
A surefire way to be successful in any job is to have a passion for the work. When you like what you do it brings you to a new level of success. Rather than simply completing tasks and working a set number of hours because it’s required of you, if you have passion for what you do it all seems like a great opportunity and you’re hungry to be successful at it.
