What makes a top salesperson? Are there certain qualities all top salespeople have or does it vary from person to person?
Believe it or not, different tactics work for different people and personalities. Not all great salespeople act the same or incorporate the same strategies. They are, however, all about the customer because that’s who it’s all about. Making sales is important, but happy customers and quality customer service can lead to sustained success.
There are still certain attributes that all great salespeople have. Whether someone works at a Nissan dealership or sells products online, the attributes below tend to be universal. Learn them, live them, love them.
Passionate about what they’re selling
Great salespeople are passionate about what they sell. And, no, that doesn’t mean they have to seem like they just finished drinking a pot of coffee or act super outgoing. Passion comes in many different forms.
Great salespeople know exactly what they’re talking about when it comes to a product or service, and they know how to find the ideal product or service for each individual customer. They’ve memorized the benefits and features because they’re, without a doubt, passionate about what they’re selling.
Not to mention, if they’re selling something highly technical, a great salesperson can still articulate exactly how a product works and how it’s different from other products. You can’t teach passion, but you do know it when you see it.
A never give up mentality
Customers don’t like pushy salespeople. It makes them feel uneasy and like they have to buy something just to get the salesperson to stop talking to them. In fact, they feel trapped — they want nothing more than to leave the situation.
Being pushy is bad, but having a “never give up” mentality isn’t. That’s because, as a salesperson, you’re going to deal with people who don’t want to talk to you or people who will treat you poorly because they know you’re trying to sell them something.
Salespeople, whether they have business leads and people interested in their services/products or not, need determination because they deal with so much rejection. Not to mention, they talk to many different people and try to convince prospective customers to become buying customers. They hear “no, thank you” a lot and sometimes even worse.
They’re passionate about what they sell and believe in the product, and their “never give up” mentality keeps them going through the good and bad times.
Twofer: They’re modest and empathetic
Modesty and empathy aren’t typically attributes of a pushy salesperson, and that’s the point.
If you want to be good in sales, then you have to be honest about the product you’re selling. You also need to know where the customer is coming from so you can better understand what they’re looking for, as well as their budget and what product will really solve their issues.
Quality customer service involves taking the customer’s wants and needs into consideration and making the experience all about each individual customer. Sure, you want to make a sale, especially if you work on commission, but people will start to refer you if you provide them with a good experience.
Don’t trick people into a sale. Be upfront with customers and try to understand where they’re coming from. After all, that’s what a great salesperson does.
While these aren’t the only attributes of a good salesperson, they do tend to be universal. You should add them to your arsenal to provide a better experience and increase your sales.