ATTRIBUTES OF A STRONG SALESPERSON

Create News

I sat on a plane coming back from Orlando, Florida, about to start writing the game plan for the following week.  When I travel on the return flight from Orlando I make it a regular practice of booking first class for a very important reason, Disney.  If you’ve ever traveled back from Orlando yourself, you know what I’m talking about.  Huge lines and lots of families and kids on each departing flight.  I have fond memories of traveling with my own family, but, if you want to get work done…book first class.

As I pulled out my laptop I noticed something that at first, really bothered me.  A man across the aisle from me had worn shorts and sandals on the plane.  He decided to get even more casual, kicking off his sandals, leaning back and putting his bare feet up onto the bulkhead in front of him.  “Wow”, I thought.  That’s a little rude.”  Doesn't he care what everyone thinks?  Doesn't he know that isn’t appropriate on public transportation?  He then proceeded to wave down the flight attendant for various items he wanted immediately, rather than wait.  A pillow, a drink, a blanket…As I sat there, being distracted by something so trivial, another thought crossed my mind.  Despite his questionable behavior, he is in first class.  I wonder what he does for a living?  I wonder if he owns a company or is in sales?  Then it hit me.  This is exactly what we tell our clients to be on the lookout for.  Someone that doesn't put a lot of weight on what other’s think.  It doesn't mean they should be rude, let’s be clear.  But, it does mean that they view the world with more of an ego-centric perspective. 

Rock-star salespeople are exactly that.  They see the world through a different lens and are not focused on how you feel about them.  Think about it, if they were worried about being liked, they wouldn't ask tough questions, they wouldn't confront buyers when they want to “think it over” and they certainly wouldn't ask for the business.  We tell our owners, look for the rogue.  Look for someone that isn’t concerned as much as everyone else about how they are viewed by others.  Look for someone that has little patience for the status quo.

Most owners of companies we speak with that are frustrated with one or many of their salespeople have these issues to share about their people:

  • They don’t prospect enough for new business
  • They don’t close enough of the leads they have
  • They let quotes linger too long without closing
  • They chase projects that aren’t a good fit for the company
  • They sell at lower margins than acceptable
  • They spend too much time with people that may never say “yes”

These issues all tie back to the salesperson and their ability to be selfish about their time, while being less concerned about being liked.  Now, it can be something they can get better at through training, but why not start with someone first that already has these talents?

Look at what salespeople have to face every day and select those that can naturally deal with those barriers.  As examples, salespeople have to not waste time with people that have no intention of spending money.  They have to quickly determine if they are being shopped.  They have to get the prospect to reveal accurate budgets.  They have to ask the tough questions, so they can determine quickly if they are a good, qualified prospect.  They have to get the procrastinators to pull the trigger.  And finally, they have to close.

We’ve figured out one attribute that is important in a salesperson, but what else?  There’s got to be more than that, right?  That is true.  Further attributes of successful salespeople are as follows:

  • Outlook – they view the world as one of abundance, rather than scarcity.  This allows them to quickly disqualify a prospect because they are aware that another great prospect is likely just around the corner.  This keeps them from hanging out with someone too long.
  • Impatience – they don’t like to waste time.  They view time differently, not wanting to sit around chit-chatting.  They don’t stay in one place too long.  They are ready to move on to the next thing quicker than most.  Some may view them as rude because of this.  I see a potentially strong salesperson.
  • Responsibility – Not to be confused with being a responsible person, this attribute means they take responsibility for their wins and their losses.  They don't blame others for their failures and learn from their mistakes.  They don't say things like, “the prospect was cheap” or “if we only had faster turn-around times I would have sold it”.  They have a “it is what it is” mentality.
  • Commitment – They do whatever it takes to be successful.  Put them into another role or with another company, and they find a way to be successful.  They have that “figure it out” factor.  They are committed to winning, committed to your company and committed to the industry.
  • Self-talk – The inner dialogue they have about themselves is strong.  Where some salespeople beat themselves up when they say something they didn't mean to say, these people move on from it.  Where weaker salespeople will have inner dialogue such as, “When someone says it’s too much, I never get those” or “It’s so hard to close the big one’s”, these salespeople’s minds are quiet in these situations.  They feel like, “Why not me?” or, “I will find a way” instead.

Finding strong salespeople can be difficult, as you may know from your searches.  However, if you pay attention to people you meet out there in a different way, there may be one you meet while at a Starbucks, behind a counter, waiting with you in line or even sitting next to you on a plane.  Be on the lookout for those people that might not care as much as the rest about social graces or etiquette.  You never now, they may just be your next number one salesperson.