The document outlines 15 characteristics of truly successful salespeople: they are conscientious in planning their days and being prepared, respectful of others' time, self-starting by taking initiative and adjusting quickly, able to listen to understand customers' needs rather than just talk about features, persistent in handling objections, coachable to improve, positive to get others excited, resourceful in handling questions and objections, passionate about their products, inquisitive by asking the right questions, independent and self-motivated, efficient with time management, driven to overachieve, personable to connect with different types of people, and alert to engage fully with customers.

1. 15 Characteristics
Of Truly Successful Salespeople

2. What makes you great at sales?
While not every salesperson fits a specific mold,
entrepreneur.com noted 15 characteristics- learned
or innate- that the most successful reps share.

3. 1. Conscientious

4. Stay thorough, efficient, and organized.
Plan your day and be prepared for every interaction
with prospects, customers, and teammates.

5. 2. Respectful

6. Respect the time of prospects and customers.
People are busy and don’t want to waste time, so
take advantage of every second with a carefully crafted
demo and great questions.

7. 3. Self-starting

8. Act quickly and take initiative.
Great sales reps adjust on the fly and don’t
wait for direction or need to constantly run new
ideas by their manager.

9. 4. Able to listen

10. Ask questions and listen.
Even though salespeople love to talk, don’t dominate
the conversation explaining specific features. Instead, ask
about a prospect’s needs and let them talk about
themselves and their business.

11. 5. Persistent

12. Don’t let objections stop you.
You need thick skin as a sales person, be kind
and always try to help your prospects by approaching
the sale in a way suited to them.

13. 6. Coachable

14. Coachability trumps all in a new hire.
Being an early adopter of suggestions and a
good listener are essential sales qualities.

15. 7. Positive

16. Get people excited about your product.
After all, you’re enhancing their business. Show them
you’re different from an traditional sales rep and that
you care by bringing positive energy to every conversation.

17. 8. Resourceful

18. Be quick on your feet with questions and objections.
Switch gears smoothly when you encounter resistance. This
takes practice, so anticipate common objections and be prepared
to handle them.

19. 9. Passionate

20. Stay excited and happy to share your product.
As long as you’re bought in, every opportunity to share
a great tool should be exciting.

21. 10. Inquisitive

22. Asking questions and listening go hand in hand.
Even more importantly, learn to ask the right questions that
prompt high level responses and lead prospects to come
to realize the importance of your product on their own.

23. 11. Independent

24. Being self-motivated is a pivotal skill.
Working on commission means that you get what
you put in. Make sure that you don’t need a manager
to constantly hold your hand. Instead, go out and
make opportunities happen.

25. 12. Efficient

26. Time management is crucial to your routine.
The more time you save, the more time you can spend
having meaningful conversations and closing deals.

27. 13. Driven

28. The drive to overachieve separates great
reps from the rest of the pack.
Whether it’s at 6 AM or 10 PM, the more demos you complete,
the more you help your company, your customer, and yourself.

29. 14. Personable

30. Don’t be a drone.
Learn to mesh with different types of people and
know how to approach sales with each. It’s easier
to sell to a friend than a stranger, so establish some
personality early on.

31. 15. Alert

32. Stay on the ball.
It’s almost impossible to be engaged if you’re not alert.
Get enough sleep, and stay active so you can be an
active listener, stay positive, and close deals.

33. Thank You!
For more sales development
resources, visit salesloft.com!