If you plan to start a career in sales, you need more than just a sales speech to sell the proverbial pen. Whether you’re new to the industry or switching careers, knowing what winning skills and traits recruitment agencies like HyperHired look for can help you stand out as a potential candidate. Given the competitive sales landscape, however, you need to update your knowledge about the career requirements.
Must-Have Core Characteristics & Skills of a Successful Sales Professional
Salespeople are built differently, and certain characteristics make them suitable candidates for the role. If you want to become outstanding in the field, there are qualities you need to have.
Empathy and Active Listening
Salespeople may seem to talk a lot more than listen, but they’re actually excellent listeners. After all, their role is to identify a potential customer’s problem and ensure the products they’re selling are the needed resolution.
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Ask thoughtful and leading questions
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Make a client feel heard and understood
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Establish trust by showing genuine concern
Resilience and Grit
A day in the life of a sales professional may be a good balance of wins and rejections or rejections overall. You can’t give up, even if you barely close a deal for days or weeks.
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Eat multiple rejections for breakfast and use them as motivation fuel
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Quickly bounce back and continue to the next challenge
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Treat each challenge as a chance to grow and to be better
Proactiveness and Initiative
No one succeeds by just waiting around, and salespeople need to take action to achieve their goals or quota.
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Don’t wait to be asked to reach out to leads and generate potential sales
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Continuously develop sales processes to meet goals
Communication Skills
How else can you negotiate or interact with potential clients if you can’t communicate clearly and confidently?
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Be clear, confident, and professional in every communication channel
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Know every inch of the product you’re selling to help you explain its purpose and benefits in a simple yet compelling way.
Negotiation and Closing Skills
Having the ability to close a deal and do it often is every salesperson’s dream. This is especially true if your deals are anything but small.
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Never be pushy, even when objections are flying off
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Be smart in recognizing situations where you may need to back off rather than push forward
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Always aim for win-win solutions rather than just for your gain
To become a successful sales professional, you need to be resilient, empathetic, proactive, and equipped with the necessary skill set. Armed with the right attitude and skills, let HyperHired match you with a company whose goals align with yours.
