There comes a time in every consultant’s life when for some unknown reason they feel the need to document their thoughts on the defining characteristics of successful sales people. Well, now it’s my time.
Of course, this is a very risky proposition. Inevitably, we all see the world through our own biases and prejudices. No individual’s personal view on the characteristics of great salespeople (or great anything) can ever really compare with a more rigorous, scientific study. But often, it’s the insights from the experience of individuals that informs and triggers the studies and eventually leads to firmer, more evidence-based conclusions.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with hundreds of salespeople from over 20 different countries – so at least my own personal, biased thoughts are based on a reasonably large and diverse sample.
So here goes – my top 3 and a bit characteristics of world-class salespeople:
