Five Qualities That Make Salespeople Great

Here they are:

  1. Empathy – according to Herb Greenberg, CEO of Caliper and author of How To Hire Your Next Top Performer; “empathy is the ability to sense the reactions of other people. It is the ability to pick up the subtle clues and cues provided by others in order to accurately assess what they are thinking and feeling. Empathy does not necessarily involve agreeing with the feelings of others, but it does involve knowing what their feelings are.”
  2. Ego Drive – should not be confused with desire or motivation to succeed. It is an emotional need of gaining self-acceptance that is fulfilled by persuading others to our point of view. Top salespeople get their “fix” or “high” when they successfully persuade someone to their point of view. When someone buys our product or service, it is a validation of self.
  3. Service To Others – is similar to Ego Drive in that the salesperson derives acceptance for having done a job well. It has more to do with receiving customer or manager approval or appreciation than for having made the sale.
  4. Self Image – this characteristic has to do with how much an individual likes himself or herself. It is an individual’s ability to feel good about himself or herself to accept rejection and failure as part of life. A person with a strong Self-Image has the ability to leave rejection behind and go on without being emotionally crushed or internalizing it. Salespeople with a strong Self-Image are emotionally resilient. They are motivated by failure not crushed by it. They can’t wait for the next opportunity. Someone with a low Self-Image is paralyzed by failure and avoids any experiences that may produce failure.
  5. Utilitarian Attitude – is characterized by an interest in money and what is useful. Someone with a high Utilitarian Attitude wants to have the security that money brings not only for themselves but also for their present and future family. A person with a high Utilitarian Attitude is likely to have a high need to surpass others in wealth.