3 Traits that make for a Great Salesperson

Lillian Mell
Nov 6 · 2 min read
Photo by Frame Harirak on Unsplash

Salespeople. The grounded optimists that make your company money. I’ve consolidated all my research into these three traits that make for an exceptional salesperson. Without further adieu: What you need to be great at sales.

  1. AUTHENTICITY

Successful salespeople are at their core authentic. They connect with people. How do you connect? Being really real. Yes, salespeople make their products look good, but a great salesperson values a relationship with a customer over the sell. That way, trust is established and the customer is more likely to come back because they know you, even if it's for something entirely different. Relationships are everything.

2. ACTIONABILITY

A great salesperson is actionable. A great salesperson takes steps to advance knowledge of the product. A great salesperson finds ways to be a better salesperson and is ALWAYS learning. If they don't know a program, like Excel, Salesforce, or other data-driven services, they figure it out. Moreover, they look for ways to improve systems already in place to make themselves and their companies move faster, sell more, and be better. A great salesperson is invested in the well being of their company and product, and themselves. They are consistent, they're not annoying, and they work on both of those skills. They are great listeners who take steps to help the customer because that's what they're there for. To make your life better. They’re constantly adapting and are comfortable with it.

3. NICENESS & CONFIDENCE

Salespeople are very well trained in emotional intelligence. It takes a whole lot of control and resilience to consistently be nice when you're told no all the time. A critical salesperson trait is to be nice. Equally critical is confidence in yourself. Great salespeople are confident in their abilities and have compassion for fellow humans. They are personable. Why do you think there are salespeople anyways? Its because no one buys anything from a robot. Robots are programmed and feel inauthentic. Dr. Ford of Westworld said “Humans fancy that there’s something special about the way we perceive the world, and yet we live in loops as tight and as closed as the hosts do, seldom questioning our choices, content, for the most part, to be told what to do next,” But it appears to me that salespeople break that loop, allowing for connection, awareness, and yes, compassion. That's what it's all about.

Happy selling!

Lillian Mell

Written by

I’m an initiator, competitor, and adventurer sharing my stories to inspire others to play big.

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