Great Salespeople – Identifying The Common Denominators

by Michelle Wright
Top performing salespeople are highly coveted. Employers are always in need of successful salespeople especially during a slow economy. Sales jobs are available in most industries because companies/employers still need to sell products and services to stay in business. Sales training or the art of selling is a multi-million dollar business - there are hundreds of books, tapes, DVDs, and websites dedicated to improving one’s selling ability, increasing yours sales productivity and even how to land your next sales job. So what makes one salesperson different from the next?

Here are some common factors of great salespeople:
  1. The customer is first. Great salespeople try to see things from the customer’s perspective – they find out what the customer needs first. Solutions, creating opportunities, and focusing on improving the customer’s life are essential to being a great salesperson. Great salespeople support the customer decision to buy instead of trying to sell them a product or service.
  2. Great salespeople are excellent relationship builders – the customer is a friend and the salesperson is a trusted resource. Networking and making the right associations are what great salespeople do very well; Successful salespeople hang out with other successful people (especially customers and decision makers). Moreover, successful salespeople are enthusiastic with small talk helping put others at ease.
  3. Great salespeople are persistent and they do not take the word “no” personally. They understand that importance of visibility and lead generation are critical to their success. Of course staying top of mind with respect to the customer is a must in furthering importance of visibility and lead generation. Great salespeople understand you rarely get your foot in the door the first time you knock, but if you keep knocking on doors eventually doors will open for you.
  4. Great salespeople are knowledgeable about their products and services, the industry, competitors, and the needs of their customers. Top performers invest in technology, industry training, and learning skills that will make then a resource to their customers. It could be as simple as taking golf lesson to be able to talk business on the links.
  5. Great salespeople are results and goal driven. Great salespeople go to great lengths to exceed the expectations of their customer and understand how important the bottom line is. Great salespeople have a plan to achieve their sales quota or desired goal.
As you can see, a great salesperson is an asset to any business because they treat their job as if it is their own business. Thus, there are always sales jobs available for great salespeople. So, for those of you looking to find your way during your job search – take inventory of your own skills, maybe you are a yet to be discovered great salesperson.