Hire Successful Salespeople Who Exhibit These 7 Traits

Success in sales comes from a combination of inherent traits and trained behaviors and skills. Healthy sales teams start with people who already exhibit the inherent traits they need in order to benefit from the training, reinforcement, and culture you provide them.

The most successful salespeople tend to demonstrate these 7 traits:

1. Goal-oriented. Salespeople who are strongly motivated by goals are more likely to meet them and, therefore, succeed in the goal-driven environment of sales.
2. Conscientious. A person who is inclined to be conscientious is more likely to follow up, maintain a consistent prospecting routine, and complete all the tasks necessary to nurture a prospect to a sale.
3. Confident. Confidence generates trust, enhances rapport, and helps a salesperson continue to perform even under pressure.
4. Supportive beliefs. Limiting beliefs such as “I don’t deserve to make money” or “Salespeople are always sleazy” can hinder performance, while supportive beliefs such as “People like me” and “I’m a great presenter” enhance it.
5. Self-motivated. A salesperson who comes to work every morning prepared to do everything they need to do and to continually improve their skills and performance will always outperform someone who needs sticks and carrots.
6. Teachable/coachable. A salesperson who refuses to learn and be coached will never improve as quickly as someone who is willing to listen and learn and apply new sales skills.
7. Cultural fit. Your sales culture is one of your most valuable assets. A salesperson whose values are in conflict with your team’s will be a toxic influence, no matter how good they are at their job. Hire people whose values and beliefs line up with your company’s unique culture, and reinforce behaviors and attitudes that support it.