The 9 Traits of Top Salespeople

Truly exceptional salespeople are marvellous to witness. You know the type; the ones who seem to consistently overachieve targets, always have something in the pipeline for next month, and know intricate details about customers lives. They usually know they are good at what they do, and most often exist in isolation (not only because they are rare, but also because they like to rule the roost!).

These are nine traits I have found to be true of the best of the best:

1. They believe they are going to get the sale.

Top performers in every walk of life from sales, to sports, to business all understand the power of having the right mindset. Top salespeople believe they will be able to close every customer if they can find just the right product and create value, and that belief drives behaviour. This belief becomes a guiding light, lifting confidence and making visible those opportunities available to push a little harder on a client or find a possible solution to a problem.

2. They communicate with passion and enthusiasm.

Excite a customer and they are more likely to buy from you. Superstar salespeople use their genuine excitement to speak about their product or company and inspire customers to act. You can’t fake this one, but the trick to this is to find a key element that genuinely interests you and lean in to it.

3. They control the sale.

Average salespeople are led by the customer, with many following their exact requests with no focus on the end goal of the process. Exceptional salespeople steer their clients down the path they want to go, not allowing for distractions, with a clear end kept in sight – closing the deal!

4. They ask more questions than they answer.

Most customers don’t clearly know the problem they are trying to solve, and so mistakenly ask for things that either won’t fix their problem or won’t meet their expectations. In a sales interaction, the person who asks the most questions holds the power. The best of the best master the ability to ask open ended questions that keep their customers engaged and help diagnose what the customer is trying to achieve. Top performers learn how to reframe customer questions so they can get more accurate information.

5. They embrace objections.

Average salespeople often get disheartened by objections and quickly run to the “let me write it down for you”, as a way of not seeming pushy and offering good service. But the best salespeople actively seek out objections so they can overcome them. The trick is understanding that objections are not a stop sign, but a speed bump which require you to slow down, go over it and keep going!

6. They sell satisfaction, not what is needed to achieve it.

Average salespeople focus on the product, superstars focus on the outcome. Rationalisation of product is important, but it usually isn’t the prime motivating factor for a customer to purchase. For example, in diamond engagement rings - “this is an excellent cut meaning it’s the best of best”, vs “This diamond is so nicely cut, the sparkle you see right now, will be the sparkle she sees when she looks at it in 50 years’ time”. The emotional statement builds desire by creating a positive image in the customers mind and focuses on the outcome of the purchase.

7. They continue to learn about their industry and products.

Continual growth through learning and education is a non-negotiable for the best salespeople. Often being mislabelled as arrogant, top salespeople operate with very high levels of confidence. This confidence is born from continuing to learn, so as to ensure they remain at the top of their field.

8. They ask for the sale more often.

Sales is a numbers game. The best of the best know that simply asking more times for the sale means you are more likely to get more sales. Ask more. Get more. It is that simple.

9. They follow up until they receive a restraining order.

Average salespeople think the sale is lost much earlier than it usually is. Consistently following up all leads until there is an outcome (be it yes or no), inadvertently means that overall, top performers win more business. Sales aces know that an unanswered phone call or text doesn’t mean no interest, it just means you weren’t the priority at that moment, so they try again.

Focus on these traits and you will see incredible results. If you’re wanting to better yourself or your existing team, get in touch.

Sell with success!

“Your attitude, not your aptitude will determine your altitude” – Zig Ziglar.