It has often been said that a successful salesperson is more about personality traits than a set of learned skills. Professional Academy takes the view that these traits can be trained and developed as much as any skill set, though that is a topic for another time. So what traits are essential in a good salesperson? Much like the Marketing Mix, the qualities of a strong salesperson can be broken down into seven Ps that any capable salesperson should possess.
Positivity
The best salespeople tend to be positive salespeople. The first and simplest habit taught to salespeople is to smile while selling, whether in person, on the phone, or even while typing an email, because positive perception can sway a potential customer in a salesperson's favour. Few people warm to a negative salesperson. This trait has the added benefit of helping a person through the tougher months, which do occur, and of keeping morale high across the office.
Passion
People do not simply commit to the product or service being sold; they respond to the person selling it. The passion a salesperson carries for what they do and what they sell is a selling point in itself. A salesperson should also act as an ambassador for the business, exciting other people about what they are buying, so that even if a customer has not purchased anything yet, they leave the interaction feeling positive about how beneficial the product or service would be in their life.
Product Knowledge
Some of the strongest salespeople, particularly in technical industries, are former engineers. The reason is that they combine passion for the product with a deep understanding of how it works. Having this level of knowledge allows a salesperson to match the customer accurately to the right product or service, increasing the chances of a good fit and a satisfied customer.
Persistence
Most sales do not happen on the first interaction. On average, it takes several points of contact to convert a lead into a sale. Developments in technology mean this can now be done in many ways, whether by email, telephone, connecting on LinkedIn or traditional post. A salesperson who gives up after a couple of unanswered messages may be missing out on sales that were only a few contacts away.
Patience
Patience works alongside persistence, and it also matters in a salesperson's relationship with the customer. Not every customer is able to purchase immediately, particularly for a high-value item. There may be several hurdles along the way, and questions may arrive in a long exchange of correspondence. Pushing a customer to buy before they are ready is more likely to lose the sale than to close it, so it is important to move at the customer's pace rather than the salesperson's.
Problem Solver
A salesperson should approach each sale not as selling a product or service, but as solving a customer's problem. How does this product or service improve the customer's situation? Approaching a sale from that perspective makes the process feel more natural, and any issues encountered on the way to a completed sale become simpler to overcome for salesperson and customer alike.
Perceptiveness
Listening is arguably the most essential skill for a salesperson. Listening to what a customer wants allows a salesperson to solve their problem, and it builds a relationship. Importantly, it means the salesperson understands what the customer actually needs. Rather than dictating a solution, a perceptive salesperson allows the customer to arrive at the conclusion themselves, guided by well-judged advice.
For a salesperson, or a team of salespeople, who already possess these key character traits, the next step is to develop them further and move from being a strong sales professional to an exceptional one.
How Professional Academy Supports Your Journey
These traits can be strengthened by building on them with structured sales training from the experts at Professional Academy. Whether the goal is to train in the basics of telesales or to develop more advanced account management skills, Professional Academy offers a range of qualifications and courses that help a sales professional grow and develop. To find out more, explore the ISP Level 3 qualification, the wider ISP sales qualifications, or speak to the qualification advice team.
