Business owners and marketing experts have long debated the personality attributes and behaviors that make a successful salesperson. There are countless publications dealing with the art or science of sales and how to be the best salesperson in your company. There are thousands of recipes for success in these publications, and there are as many suggestions for getting rich through sales as there are sales experts writing these books and articles. So, how do you know who to believe?
A Harvard Business School study suggested that 20% of all salespeople make 80% of all sales, which leaves only 20% for the remaining 80% of the sales force. As a salesperson, you know how crucial it is to be one of the leaders in your company's sales force. It may not be so obvious, however, what factors help certain sales people succeed while others struggle in vain. Here, we identify the attributes that regularly show up in studies and research about sales success.
Successful salespeople do not take rejection personally. A salesperson may hear the word "no" thousands of times in his/her career and cannot take this rejection as personal rejection and give up. Successful salespeople can take rejection; they accept responsibility for their actions – regardless of the results; they are ambitious and have a drive to succeed; they are highly focused on setting and accomplishing goals; they show empathy in their day to day dealings; and they love to interact with others, including strangers.
Other studies have identified additional factors including - The following is a list of factors identified in many highly successful salespeople:
· Strong listening skills · Positive attitude and enthusiasm · Persistence and a passion to be the best · An ability to establish rapport quickly · A good sense of humor · Reliability/dependability · Creativity · Conviction Sales is one of the most challenging and demanding careers you can choose, and becoming the best is no easy task. Having some or all of the above attributes should give you an idea if sales is right for you. While having all or a combination of some of these qualities obviously cannot guarantee your success, your examination of these traits and your own self, may help you see your potential as well as what you need to work on.
Whether you are just beginning your career in sales or if you are a seasoned veteran, self-examination never hurts. Pay careful attention to your interaction with potential clients; listen to yourself. Then ask, "Do I have what it takes to succeed in sales?"
Here is a resource page for sales people to assess their skills and personality traits - www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com
To learn more about this author, visit Colleen Stanley's Website.
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Colleen Stanley
(Visit Colleen's Website)
Colleen Stanley is an expert at building
high performance sales organizations. She
is president of SalesLeadership, Inc., a
sales and sales management training firm.
Her company's clients enjoy a 20- 30%
growth in sales and profits after
installing and executing SLI’s processes
and systems.
Colleen is a monthly columnist for the
Denver Business Journal, co-author of
‘Motivational Selling’ and author of
‘Growing Great Sales Teams: Lessons from
the Cornfield.’
In Denver, Colleen serves on board for
Colorado National Speakers Association,
Tennyson Center for Children, Association
for Corporate Growth and Intuitive
Insurance.
After joining the largest dance fitness
company in the world, Jazzercise, and
eventually being selected as one of the
300 franchisees to perform in the Opening
Ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics, Colleen
joined Varsity Spirit Corporation. She was
one of their top sales producers and an
award-winning Regional Sales Manager.
Colleen became the first female vice
president of sales there and managed over
100 sales representatives.
Colleen is a graduate of Mankato State
University, Mankato Minnesota, earning a
Bachelor of Science Degree
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