What are 3 characteristics of effective salespeople?

The success of a salesperson is ultimately measured by one thing—results. However, if you take the time to listen to a high-performing salesperson, it is clear to see why they’re consistently at the top of their game. It’s more than their mannerisms, their attitude, or the way they talk – it’s a combination of a number of different traits that all work cohesively to produce stellar results (and stellar customer service). Not everyone is cut out for sales, but if you possess even some of these traits, you’re off to a good start.

Responsible

A great salesperson accepts responsibility and does not try to pass the buck. If there is a problem, they are accountable and will dig in to find the root cause of the issue. They don’t pass the blame on to their organization or their manager either. Rockstar salespeople feel a sense of responsibility for their company, team members, and their customers—meaning they’re not just concerned about closing the deal and walking away but are focused on how it impacts the team around them.

Empathetic

Empathy is an important trait for anyone to possess. To become a successful salesperson, you must have deep desire to understand the concerns that a prospect might be facing and find an ideal solution to their problems. The ability to establish rapport quickly and easily is particularly helpful in reducing relationship tension with new prospects. After all, people don’t care what you know until you show them that you truly care.

Focused

Individuals who are focused are more driven and self-motivated. In fact according the Harvard Business Review, 84% of top performers tested scored very high in achievement orientation. They are laser-focused on their goals and what that need to do to maximize performance.

Another bonus of salespeople who are locked in on the prize is that they don’t need the constant supervision or direction that others do, and they are excellent at multi-tasking not easily distracted by issues that don’t serve their long-term objectives.

Resourceful

The ability to think outside the box is the mark of a strong sales team member. That means using imaginative techniques and different approaches in order to close a sale. The truth is that when it comes to a sales superstar, a ‘no’ can mean a ‘maybe.’ Therefore, being able to interpret the client’s needs and switch up methods under pressure to close a sale is desireable trait.

Optimistic

Optimism is a critical trait, particularly in the face of rejection or failure. It is so easy to become frustrated and feel helpless when things go wrong, or you go through that proverbial “sales slump.” The ability to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again is required in sales. Continual persistence means that a successful salesperson doesn’t let a negative situation affect their overall performance. For them, the glass is always half full.

Confident

Who wants to buy from a salesperson who doesn’t believe in themselves or their product? No one, that’s who. A successful salesperson knows their product or service inside and out and can clearly demonstrate the benefits to potential customers. But being confident doesn’t give a sales rep the green light to be arrogant or cocky. It’s about knowing who you are as a person, what you stand for and the expertise you bring to the table.

Insightful

In sales, it’s important to be flexible and willing to move away from the standard approach-offering customized solutions that fit a client’s needs. Strong salespeople are not afraid to veer from the written script to solve a problem in a unique way. Today’s customers are better informed which means that the solutions and insights provided from sales must be over and above the vanilla specs they can get from a simple search on Google.

Honest

Honesty truly is the best policy when it comes to salespeople. Unfortunately, some traditional sales roles carry the “stigma” of being dishonest, which means salespeople have to work twice as hard to demonstrate they are trustworthy. In sales, it’s all about coming across as sincere. The most successful salespeople know when to admit they don’t have the answers and don’t make empty promises just to close the sale.

Bending the truth, even on a small scale, burns bridges with that customer and kills any chance for a referral in the long run.

Passionate

Great salespeople don’t just love closing the deal, they also love their job too. They are passionate about the mission of the business and how their sales efforts make a difference. You can hear the passion in their tone and in their presentation, and it gives prospects just another reason to commit. Being passionate as a sales rep not only fuels sales, but it impacts team morale and helps to define an organization’s sales culture.

Communicative

Salespeople need to find the balance between the gift of the gab and listening to what others have to say. The truth is great listeners make the best salespeople. The key is to ask open-ended questions that allow prospects and customers to share their pains, challenges and goals and to talk less about the features of your product.

Beyond being a great listener, great sales professionals regularly follow up with customers, both past and present, to stay top of mind and provide them with valuable resources.   

Most of these traits are not only necessary to succeed in sales but required if you want to be a generally good human. In the end, people buy from people…and usually people that they like.

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, the sales team is continually expected to perform.

Nobody feels this pressure more than the sales manager. They are the ones expected to drive their sales force to quota-shattering greatness, quarter after quarter.

As your sales team begins to scale, it’s up to the sales team lead or the hiring manager to know what makes up the qualities of a good salesperson so they can hire top salespeople for their team.

When evaluating sales talent, you need to assess the candidate’s cultural fit. The decision will ultimately be made by taking into account more than just the skills of a successful salesperson and their record of hitting targets – you want to make sure they have the right attitude and character traits for your company so they will mesh well with your team.

In this article, we’re going to explain how to find and understand these traits and why they are important. We’ll also give you some practical interview ideas to help streamline your hiring process – this list of 25 qualities to search for in your next sales hire will make your final decisions so much easier.

We wrap up the article by sharing the absolute number one character trait you need to prioritize for all of your future sales hires, so stick around for number 25! So, what makes a good salesperson? Read on to find out...

1. Ambitious: You want someone who wants to grow in this position (as well as thrive in the sales world). Ask what they see themselves doing in one year, three years and five years – what does it look like?

2. Passionate: Passion sells, clients can feel it and you want your team members to genuinely believe in what they are selling. Ask why they want to sell your product and what it means to them.

3. Bold: Find a salesperson who isn’t afraid to make the call, hit the C-suite or get on stage. Ask them how they would feel about delivering an elevator speech to the entire sales team. Do they jump on it?

4. Tenacious: You want an optimist who won’t back down and won’t take no for an answer. Tell them why you don't think they are a good fit for the job, and see if they fight to change your mind.

5. Assertive: Salespeople can't be shrinking violets. Ask how they would handle returning a meal that wasn’t good.

6. Confident: Attitude is everything. Ask them to sell you something on the spot by handing them a pen and saying “sell me this pen!”. This answer showcases their communication skills, too, as you’ll get a preview of how they’d structure a sales pitch.

7. Motivated: You can forget about reaching quota without this. Ask “What is your WHY?”. Do they enjoy fulfilling clients’ needs by helping them find the right solution? Do they thrive off of talking to people and building relationships?

8. Driven: This is what puts motivation into action. After asking them their “why” ask them what they DID once they determined their purpose. What pushed them to action?

9. Competitive: Competition is what drives people to greatness. Tell them the top performers’ numbers and ask if they think they can beat them. After all, you’re looking to hire top salespeople that crave coming in first place, not average reps that settle for “just enough is good enough”.

10. Courteous: This one gives you insights into their personality traits. See if they thank you right after the interview (extra points for a handwritten letter).

11. Honest: You want people you can trust with your firm and your clients. Ask what they would do in a “grey area” scenario, where they could get away with fudging the numbers on a small deal. (If they can’t be trusted in small things, can they be trusted with big things?).

12. Helpful: This helps you uncover their customer service skills. Ask what they did the last time one of their clients had a challenge with their product or service. This answer will shed light on how they manage customer needs and if they will be successful at overcoming challenges and building lasting relationships.

13. Humble: Egomaniacs can destroy a sales team and karma usually has a way of catching up with them. Ask them about previous team accomplishments and if they give credit to others. Individual wins are important, but collaboration is key to any successful sales process.

14. Healthy: Sales is stressful and you want someone who won’t break down and is capable of maintaining a positive attitude. Ask them what they do to reduce stress.

15. Caring: Empathy puts you on the same side of the table as the prospect. Ask if they’ve previously volunteered anywhere.

16. Intelligence “book smarts”: The smart take from the strong. Ask what their greatest educational achievement was and why.

17. Intelligence “street smarts”: Make sure they have common sense. You don’t want pushovers. Tell them an obviously fabricated story and see if they pick up on it. Play it off if they do. Run if they don’t!

18. Awareness: Are they able to take the measure of a person? Read a room? Ask them a question about the person who walked them back to your office. If you’re a remote company, ask them about the person at your company they first spoke to on the phone or via video. Did they pay attention and can they answer?

19. Inquisitive: Inquisitive salespeople uncover needs and pain points. Do they ask more than just cursory questions about the position? See if they ask about your career track with the firm.

20. Organized: Cluttered workspace = cluttered mind = distractions = no sales. Ask them how they manage their time. What’s their system? Do they have a system? How do they handle multitasking?

21. Analytical: Very helpful for complex sales. Question them about a challenging sale you worked on. Do they ask for more info or more data to help determine an answer? Not only does this shed light on their problem-solving skills, but it also tests to see if they have good listening skills. How well did they understand your previous challenging sales story? Are they capable of active listening under pressure?

22. Learner: Great salespeople are always looking to improve and get better. Ask them about the last book they read or class they took. Top sales reps encompass adaptability and a hunger to constantly level up their skills.

23. Social IRL: Do they like people and are they known outside of their circle? What do they do in their community? Good relationships IRL often translate to strong customer relationships at work.

24. Social Online: Are they good at social selling? Ask what platforms they’re on. How often do they post and engage with followers/connections?

No clickbait here, let’s get straight to the point.

The best salespeople almost exclusively share one key trait.

Regardless of the situation, successful salespeople remain positive.

A seminal study completed by psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman was produced on behalf of insurance company, Met Life in the 1980s to help them improve their hiring processes. They were spending huge sums training new salespeople, but over half of their agents quit within their first year.

Dr. Seligman specialized in the study of optimism and positive psychology. He created an optimism screening test and followed around 1500 new Met Life sales professionals over a 12 month period.

The result?

Those with an optimistic outlook outsold pessimists by as much as 21% in the first year and 57% in the second. Those with rankings in the top 10% of scores sold 88% more insurance than those in the bottom 10%.

Does your candidate believe that no matter what happened on the last call or pitch or meeting, that the next one will be better?

Do they truly believe in themselves and their ability against all odds?

A salesperson without fierce optimism is someone who is defeated after their first inevitable failure. You want someone who will dust off the rejection, pick themselves up, and attack their next target with a positive outlook.

Failure is part of sales. How your salesperson reacts to that failure is critically linked to your long term success.

Your job is tough enough, monitoring your CRM to track daily numbers, keeping up with sales reports and making sure your reps have a healthy pipeline – especially if they are working remote or in the field.

Sales managers live in an increasingly metrics-driven environment where there’s never-ending pressure to be more efficient, yet the hiring process remains a neglected area.

With this “cheat sheet” you will be able to save time during the interview process and make sure you make the right hiring decision for your company. The costs and lost time associated with making the wrong hire can be a serious productivity clamp. Instead of driving more leads, sales and profits, you’ll find yourself stuck managing internal HR problems.

Use this list to trigger your candidate to open up and share their thoughts so you can determine if they’ve got the makings of the next sales superstar for your growing sales team.

Once you’ve added new sales reps to your team, you’re going to want to make sure they are well trained so that they achieve sales success at speed. One of the best ways to ramp up your new hire is to sign up for our free two-week email course called the Sales Pipeline Course where our co-founder Timo Rein teaches you a series of simple, practical and actionable lessons on how to make more sales.