Some people seem naturally at ease when faced with sales, while the thought of pitching a product or service sends others running the other away.
If you’ve been thinking of starting a career in sales, you probably know which side of the spectrum you’re on, but do you know if you have what it takes to succeed in a sales role in the long run? Sales in general involves quotas to meet, people to pitch, and relationships to cultivate.
Maybe you’re just starting out deciding if sales is really for you. Use this list and ask yourself: are these traits part of who I am already?
The 10 traits that make up a successful sales person’s DNA
- Hungry
Anyone can show up to a sales job, but it takes a hunger to get the job done well. Sure, you’re going to be working with others and they might motivate you – but when that comes from within you’re a sales natural.
- A Competitive Nature
When you’re being measured against quotas and competing in sales SPIFFS, it’s important that you find these parts of your job motivating – not stress inducing. Being competitive will help you exceed your goals and find success, just make sure it’s healthy.
- Energetic
Who would you rather buy from – someone who greets you with a smile and seems genuinely excited to be there, or someone who you think is probably asleep standing up? Yes, that’s a rhetorical question. People respond to and feed off of others energy. If you’re energetic and excited about your product, chances are you’re going to get other people excited about it too, which will increase your chances of closing a deal.
- A Sense of Urgency
A sense of urgency helps you work at a pace that inspires others to do the same. It’s different from being rushed or harried because you’re still taking care of the details and the job at hand. You just know how fast to move to get things done.
- A Good Listener
In order to get to know your clients and overcome objections, it’s a requirement that you have good listening skills. This also allows you to form lasting relationships that elevate the average salesperson from those who achieve great success.
- Personable
Another trait that will help you build genuine relationships in your role, being personable also simply puts people at ease. Most people know when they are being pitched or sold to, but if you can do that while maintaining your sense of self, it makes you a lot more likeable.
- Confident
In general, you can scan a room and see who has confidence – they’re standing up straight, making eye contact, and seem engaged in what’s happening. Confidence makes you stand out in a crowd and in a sales pitch. When you’re confident about the product or service you’re pitching, it puts others at ease.
- Organized
When you’re working with a large workload (especially one that involves many people and personalities) it’s important to keep things in order. You’ll more easily be able to find things when you need them, which also helps keep stress levels lower.
- Polished
Being polished is sort of like combining your skills of confidence and organization – you can show up to a meeting ready to go because you have things in order and your confident in your abilities. This trait also comes as a result of past successes and takes training and work.
- Intelligent
More than just being smart, part of being intelligent means that you can recognize and learn from those around you and your own mistakes. You can solve problems on your own (generally) and find ways to improve your sales process.
Do you have what it takes to succeed in a sales role? Click here to talk to a recruiter today to see what sales jobs are out there.