Identifying the core characteristics required for sales success in your company will help you hire more top sales performers. Once you have a list of the qualities you are looking for, you can search for a pre-employment assessment that will measure those qualities. Here are a few to consider:
Self-Confident
Self-confidence is a feeling of trust in one's abilities, qualities, and judgment. Successful salespeople can confidently explain how your company’s product or service is going to solve a problem for them.
Customer Focused
Customer focus is a sales strategy that puts customers at the center of the buying decision. It's a long-term strategy that develops loyalty and builds trust. Customer focus means putting your customers' needs first. Successful salespeople will carefully consider why your solution makes sense based on your customer’s challenges, dreams, and goals.
Likable
Likable salespeople are pleasant, friendly, and enjoyable to be around. Being genuine and honest is essential to being likable. No one likes a fake. People gravitate toward those who are genuine because they know they can trust them.
Assertive
There is a fine line between assertive and aggressive. Everyone has experienced the pushy salesperson who won't take no for an answer. If your salespeople exhibit aggressive behavior, it will turn off prospective customers. Assertiveness is the act of acknowledging your customer's needs and conveying with confidence the benefits of your product or service. Some traits of assertive behavior are calmness, positivity, enthusiasm and honesty. Assertive salespeople are goal-oriented, competitive, and decisive.
Resilient
Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties and to adapt well when facing adversity. It's also what sets high performing sales professionals apart from average ones. Top sales achievers have a unique ability to cope with stress while negotiating obstacles and objections. They can reframe rejection as a personal challenge to succeed with the next customer.
Extroverted
An extrovert is very sociable and outgoing. They get energized by spending time with other people. They like to start conversations and they make friends easily. They also tend to have many interests. This allows a salesperson to want to meet people, enjoy the interaction, and talk about many different things.
Persistent
Persistence is the ability to stick with something. Persistence, when done respectfully and consistently, breaks through. It reminds prospects that you are there with a solution to their problems. Salespeople who give up too early are likely to fail. There is a fine line, however, between being persistent and becoming annoying.
Optimistic
Optimism is a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcomes. Top salespeople tend to be upbeat and radiate a sense of humor, fun, and general positivity.
Ambition
Ambition is the motivation or desire to achieve something. Ambitious salespeople see themselves as capable of being the best. They know that the top 20% of successful salespeople make 80% of the sales and they are determined to be among that top group.
Contact us for a Candidate Assessment
Strategy USA will measure many of the sales qualities listed above.
