8 Traits and Tactics of Effective Salespeople

Successful salespeople work in diverse industries, selling everything from pens to podcasts. Although their product lines couldn’t be more varied, it is thought effective sellers share similar traits, helping them thrive in their positions.

Sales Pros Embrace Uncertainty

Sales professionals experience a high level of uncertainty on the job. Not only are variable, commission-based salaries common, but sales environments are also in flux, requiring flexible problem solving skills and personal adaptability.

Effective salespeople respond well to change, greeting uncertainty with opportunity. Sales professionals frequently encounter shifting:

• Contacts – Top sellers rely on relationships to propel professional sales success – but even close sales contacts can change without notice. In addition to skill building residual relationships, salespeople must also find ways to cash in on the revolving door of decision-makers common at some firms.
• Products and Services – Service and sales industries evolve, resulting in new products and practices. As specialties emerge, effective sales staff acts as educators, supporting cutting-edge product releases and expansion.
• Strategies – Sales strategies respond to consumer demand; what’s in today may be out tomorrow. Effective sales professionals make the most of prevailing trends, without losing sight of the future.

If you tend to roll with the punches, managing challenges to your advantage, rather than turning away from uncertainty and change; you may share a key personality trait with skilled salespeople.

Top Performers Commit to a Sales Process

Salespeople committed to long-term success understand the value of an effective sales process. Simply logging a high number of sales calls may not be enough to meet revenue goals – a smooth sales process refines the approach, for greater returns. Effective salespeople learn to:

• Identify Prospects – Each sales specialty helps define the best prospecting methods for a particular industry. Top sellers repeat successful prospecting methods, staying true to a proven process.
• Interact Efficiently – Time is money, but not until minutes produce dollars. Efficient salespeople use their time wisely, dedicating their attention to the most productive pursuits.
• Ask and Listen – Asking questions yields information adept sales professionals use to “become” the solutions clients need.

Successful Salespeople are Good Multitaskers

Sales careers seldom follow a steady pattern, moving from one job to the next, managing a single project at one time. Instead, sales professionals must multitask, keeping tabs on clients and leads across various phases of the sales process. As new prospects are vetted, budding client relationships may need nurturing with follow-through and development – even as work on pending deals comes to completion, requiring attention at the closing table.

Their unique ability to manage multiple detailed projects creates efficiency multitaskers rely on to enhance sales performance.

Resilience and Persistence Pay Off

Top salespeople learn to navigate treacherous waters. In addition to managing regular rejection, savvy sellers also find ways to thrive under adverse conditions. Rather than accepting setbacks, stand-out sales professionals turn rejection in to motivation, challenging themselves to do better each time they have an opportunity to present their products and services.

Breaking through with a proposal may take multiple attempts; persistent sales pros consistently remind prospects what’s on the table: solutions to their most pressing concerns.

Skilled Sellers Maintain a Competitive Edge

Salespeople are commonly pitted against one another, challenging everyone on the sales team to rally higher sales. Although the competitive distractions provide worthwhile sales premiums, seasoned sales professionals only compete with themselves.

By increasing revenue, responding to market shifts, and finding sales efficiencies; high achievers control their own destinies, rather than squaring off against other sellers. Setting measureable goals and continually evaluating their progress reaching professional milestones keeps competitive sales entrepreneurs focused on their own objectives, without concern for another salesperson’s approach.

Sales Stand-outs Enjoy Working Independently

Motivated self-starters gravitate to sales careers, because sales positions often call for them to work independently. Sales naturals enjoy the freedom to make decisions about prospecting, proposals, pricing, and the best among them thrive when working alone.

Sacrificing office culture, many dedicated sales pros prefer the relative isolation of earning a living as independent sellers. Within the framework outlined by their employers, salespeople requiring little supervision are typically among the top performers.

Top Sellers are Subtle Extroverts

An outgoing personality is an asset for anyone working in sales. Extroverts with varied interests and genuine curiosity about other people often excel in sales careers, because they enjoy the interaction required to inform prospects and close deals. The most proficient salespeople turn their sociable nature into a sales tool, helping them break the ice with prospects and associates.

Just as being extroverted helps sales professionals build personal relationships that lead to deals, a subtle presence keeps exuberance in check. Maintaining an even keel builds confidence and trust, quietly driving home the message that you are the solution to a would-be buyer’s problem.

Honest Insight Closes Sales

The role  salespeople play evolves with consumer demand and culture. In today’s tech-driven sales environment, hyper-connectivity and information technology shape the way salespeople prospect and communicate with leads and clients. With greater access to information in the marketplace, the bar is higher for salespeople than it once was. Modern sellers typically encounter educated stakeholders with sophisticated understanding of their buying options; honest and insightful collaboration speaks directly to a well-informed customer base.

Closing sales requires more than a cursory rundown of specs and features; buyers also expect their partners to understand the particulars. Effective sellers bridge this crucial understanding gap, providing custom insight in to each job, while straddling the line between seller and educator.

Successful sales professionals draw from a unique set of personality traits and sales skills, enabling them to thrive under pressure in uncertain commercial environments. From persistence and discipline to their natural ability to multitask, top producers exhibit shared qualities, helping them excel in diverse industries.