The 10 Traits of the Best Salespeople

What distinguishes the winners from the losers? How do some salespeople get to the final week of the quarter with targets achieved and others facing the final week with dread with work still to do?

How do some sales people manage to always get the big deals over the line whilst others fail at the final hurdle?

I have spent the last 20 years working and learning some of the traits of the best salespeople and what has become clear to me over this time is that this group has a set of traits that are different to others.

The best salespeople and sales leaders are those who apply a different set of rules and behaviours to others and in turn, reap the rewards from their actions. They achieve consistent sales success as a result of the way in which they develop their mind and skills.

1. THEY ARE DISCIPLINED

The best salespeople are disciplined and have a set of rules that they work to and then enforce these rules on a daily weekly basis. They know that good disciplines equal good end results and they work to build self-discipline to ensure key tasks like prospecting are done on a regular basis.

2. THEY DEVELOP GOOD HABITS

The difference between the most successful business people in the world and the unsuccessful is, I believe, habits. Whether that is getting up at 6am every day, doing exercise daily or ensuring they speak to 5 prospects a day, the best business people have good habits and then have the discipline to stick to them!

3. THEY ARE NOT AFRAID OF THE WORD 'NO'

The best salespeople know that it is as important to get to a no as it is to a yes. No’s allow them to focus their attention and efforts elsewhere and not waste time chasing deals which are a waste of time. They clarify and qualify opportunities and then say ‘no’ if they know they aren’t a good fit for the prospect and work with them to get definitive answers.

4. THEY ARE FOCUSED

When a good salesperson wants something, they are incredibly focused on working to achieve the result they want. They set themselves a clear goal and then focus all of their energy and efforts on achieving that goal. They make sacrifices to achieve what they set out to. They are driven and focused on the target and how they will feel once they have the desired result.

5. THEY HATE LOSING

Great salespeople enjoy winning but above all else, they also hate losing. They accept defeat grudgingly if they have been beaten by the better person but the effect of losing hurts them. They look at how they could have improved their performance in order to prevent having that awful losing feeling again in the future.

7. THEY ARE ORGANISED

The best salespeople are organised with their time and with their prospects. They set plans for the day, week and month and note take effectively to ensure actions are completed and followed up on. They use systems to record information and are prepared for key meetings and calls. They know that prospects see being organised as being a vital component to build trust in someone to deliver on a promise made.

9. THEY ARE BRILLIANT LISTENERS

Great salespeople not only listen but they listen and understand the importance of getting inside their prospect’s mind. They pick up on keywords and ideas and use this to adjust their approach and ways of working. They use questions as the key weapons in their armoury and pick up on issues or insights that can help them get a yes or no decision.

10. THEY BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES

The final trait of the best salespeople is that they have an inner desire which burns deep within them about their own ability. This is not about arrogance but it is a self confidence that says ‘I am good, I know I am good and I will succeed’. They reinforce this belief daily and build resilience in their approach and ways of working so that they can overcome the rejections that every salesperson experiences.

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So, there are my 10 traits of the best salespeople!

Does this list ring true for you? Is there a trait that I have missed here that you think is vital to how the best operate?

Share your thoughts and comments with me @jameswhitesales or in the comments section below!

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James White

James White is the UK's leading prospect conversion expert. He understands what it takes to convert leads into real business within the modern digital era and what it takes to achieve business success.

WANT TO UP YOUR Sales Skills?

1. THEY ARE DISCIPLINED

2. THEY DEVELOP GOOD HABITS

3. THEY ARE NOT AFRAID OF THE WORD 'NO'

4. THEY ARE FOCUSED

5. THEY HATE LOSING

7. THEY ARE ORGANISED

9. THEY ARE BRILLIANT LISTENERS

10. THEY BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES

SATURDAY SALES TIPS:

Follow me on social media:

Share On Social Media:

James White

Get the latest Saturday Emails. Join hundreds of other ambitious sales people and sign up to receive my Saturday Sales Tips straight to your inbox:

WANT TO UP YOUR Sales Skills?

Why it is Essential to Keep Learning in Sales

What NOT To Do in Sales: 8 Ways To Turn Your Prospect Off You

The 10 Traits of the Best Salespeople

1. THEY ARE DISCIPLINED

2. THEY DEVELOP GOOD HABITS

3. THEY ARE NOT AFRAID OF THE WORD 'NO'

4. THEY ARE FOCUSED

5. THEY HATE LOSING

7. THEY ARE ORGANISED

9. THEY ARE BRILLIANT LISTENERS

10. THEY BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES

SATURDAY SALES TIPS:

Follow me on social media:

Share On Social Media:

James White

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