10 Characteristics of Successful Salesperson (part 1)

Truly effective salespeople have certain things in common, certain traits or characteristics they have developed within themselves that serve them in their work – decisions they made about how to conduct themselves.

Self-Starters

Most important characteristic of a successful salesperson – most successful people, for that matter – is their ability to get up and at’em on their own. They take for granted that they are going to set their own goals, and they’re not looking for a leader to tell them what to do with their lives. Effective salespeople are the ones who get up and act on their own. They’re not necessarily born that way, but they have discovered that it’s much more effective way to live.

Persistence

Nearly as important as the ability to act on your own is the capacity to hang in there. Thomas Edison, arguably the world’s greatest inventor, recorded 25,000 failures in his attempt to invent the storage battery. “Those were not failures,” he said when interviewed. “I just learned 25,000 ways not to make a storage battery.” You can find a lot of capable people who just won’t stick with their goals/relationships/projects/whatever long enough to find out whether they would have worked out or not. This is especially true in sales. That’s why the trait of persistence is so obvious in successful salespeople.

A love of People

One of the most compelling qualities of the successful salespeople is their genuine affection for people. They like meeting new ones and visiting old friends. They’re not put off by different races or cultures. They meet even language barriers with equanimity and patient warmth. These qualities make such people positively magnetic.

High Energy

The most energetic people are salespeople. They get themselves up, they get themselves going, and they keep themselves going. They realize  that bodies in motion tend to stay in motion. They also realize that if they’re going to make a sale, they’ve got to be excited  about the product or service. And they take responsibility for generating that excitement within themselves.

Proactivity

Effective salespeople take charge of their lives and live in a world they believe they create – mostly. None of us can do much about natural disasters or accidents but all of us can take control in our lives that we neglect. If we’re chronically late now, we can make a conscious effort to change that habit or look like an unprofessional flake for the rest of our careers. If we need an advanced degree to move ahead in our chosen profession, we can make the sacrifices, do the work, and get that degree, or we can stagnate, grow bitter, and retire on the job. Proactive people don’t wait for the world to happen to them.

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