Once I began my gross sales profession, I instantly gravitated towards the slimy salesperson persona. I used to be pushy and solely targeted on closing the deal. As I noticed it working properly for my colleagues, gross sales gurus, and high gross sales reps, I developed it into my promoting id.
However my pure character is empowerment and empathy, and having labored in customer support, I additionally realized the worth of actively listening and regarding prospects.
My later discovery that these traits have been additionally an necessary a part of gross sales shocked me.
I started to work on growing these traits as a salesman whereas nonetheless staying genuine. Now, I’m exhibiting you the right way to do the identical — the right way to construct the underrated however highly effective traits that make gross sales really feel pure, efficient, and aligned with who you’re.
7 Gross sales Traits Each Rep Wants
Once I began making the transition from B2C promoting to B2B, it was a brand new world to me. I knew I wanted greater than the everyday gross sales abilities of confidence, resilience, relationship-building, and objection dealing with to positively impression my efficiency.
Whereas there isn’t a magic variety of optimistic traits a top-selling consultant ought to have, what issues most is being intentional in establishing what these traits are for you. I coach my college students that the highly effective factor about possessing gross sales success traits is that they’re versatile and ever-evolving as you develop in your gross sales profession.
Discover how I discussed having the foundational traits down pat earlier than I noticed I wanted extra if I used to be going to advance my B2B gross sales efficiency? What I imply is that this: You can begin with a strong three, 5, or seven traits you discover precious, and add or subtract extra afterward. Decide what fits you when it comes to the timing of your function as a gross sales consultant. You possibly can even modify your traits quarterly to maintain you in sync and aligned for hitting your quota.
Over time, my understanding of the unconventional traits of high gross sales representatives shifted from a surface-level understanding to a deeply rooted one. That degree combines conventional gross sales abilities with the correct mindset. Enabling them each makes it extra environment friendly to coach top-selling representatives by educating reps to carry out with ability and self-awareness.
Now, let’s get into naming these traits.
1. Self-Regulation
Self-regulation is a gross sales ability that helps you keep composed after rejection, bounce again quicker, and preserve a constant tone throughout high-stress days. It means you could have the flexibility to handle your emotional reactions, particularly underneath stress, so you’ll be able to reply with intention slightly than overreacting.
I adopted this gross sales success trait in my second quarter as a B2B gross sales consultant after researching the significance of remaining calm in high-stress gross sales conditions. I had by no means skilled constant rejection in a gross sales function earlier than, and self-regulating my feelings grew to become an necessary manner for me to navigate these high-pressure occasions with readability and resilience.
Ei4change gives an incredible overview of how self-regulation impacts gross sales efficiency. It highlights that gross sales representatives who handle their feelings successfully can have interaction shoppers extra authentically, navigate objections with larger ease, and in the end drive larger conversion charges by means of strategic relationship-building efforts.
In my gross sales teaching, I assist college students develop self-regulation by educating them to handle their feelings extra successfully by means of elevated self-awareness of their emotions throughout gross sales actions.
Methods to Develop This Trait
- Apply mindfulness and breathwork earlier than high-pressure actions and determine emotional triggers throughout workflow.
2. Curiosity Over Management
Curiosity over management is a mindset that makes use of discovery and studying over forcing a dialog.
Curious top-selling representatives dig deeper into purchaser wants, ask higher questions, and create extra worth slightly than pushing a pitch. RevBoss says that promoting with the curiosity methodology diverges considerably from conventional gross sales, which emphasize services or products options and advantages.
As soon as once more, in making an attempt to copycat what labored for others, compelled pitching was my factor. I used to be greater than prepared to inform how nice our product was and all of the bells and whistles that got here with it.
However once I started cultivating real curiosity about my prospects and staying knowledgeable about their business and particular wants, I used to be capable of differentiate myself as a gross sales skilled who genuinely cared.
Methods to Develop This Trait
- Asking open-ended questions, staying genuinely taken with your prospect’s world, and reviewing duties for missed studying moments.
3. Psychological Alertness
I outline psychological alertness as the flexibility to be attentive, conscious, and aware of new info. It means you assume quick on chilly calls, modify mid-conversation, and keep sharp throughout objections or sudden turns.
This unconventional trait is the place pondering in your toes is available in, permitting you to be versatile and quick-witted in your potential conversations. You by no means understand how a prospect will reply, so being mentally alert provides you the flexibleness to react accordingly.
This was a gross sales success trait that lastly got here naturally to me. I’d have one thing in thoughts to say, and oftentimes that plan would change primarily based on the prospect’s viewpoint. It’s all the time okay to adapt in gross sales.
Methods to Develop This Trait
- Apply real-time objection dealing with, role-playing, and improv eventualities to boost your abilities.
4. Detachment From Outcomes
In gross sales, detachment is the apply of separating your id and self-worth from exterior outcomes or prospect responses. Detachment permits you to keep constant and assured, whether or not you safe the shopper or not, by specializing in what you’ll be able to management: your effort and presence.
Gross sales chief Josh Braun asks, “Why is detaching from the end result a superpower in gross sales (and life)? It’s as a result of while you turn into connected to an final result — whether or not it’s a sale, a gathering, hitting quota, or making President’s Membership — you tie your happiness to that outcome.
Satirically, the extra you attempt to management outcomes, the extra they find yourself controlling you. Detachment doesn’t imply you don’t care or that you simply’re complacent. It’s about having the knowledge to do your finest after which letting go of the outcome.
One among my gross sales managers taught me the significance of detaching from the end result: In the event you let go of the expectations, you’re most definitely to reap the reward.
This gross sales ability apply labored wonders in my gross sales function as a result of I used to be capable of present up extra confidently with out being distracted by the outcome. In flip, I now assist my gross sales teaching college students perceive the actual impression of this trait after they constantly face the top purpose of a chilly name whereas addressing objections.
Methods to Develop This Trait
- Set course of targets (calls made, customized emails despatched, high quality conversations) and rejoice enter, not simply outcomes.
5. Empathetic Listening
Empathetic listening is listening with the intent to totally perceive and emotionally join with the speaker, not simply to reply. It builds belief, reveals deeper ache factors, and makes prospects really feel secure to share what they honestly want.
We’re taught to apply energetic listening and empathy, however by combining the 2, you’ll be able to acquire a deeper understanding of your prospect.
The Promoting to the C-Suite publication by Cherilynn Castlemann suggests sellers ought to have “giraffe ears” — what she calls “a strong listening method encouraging energetic and empathetic listening. Think about a giraffe with its lengthy neck, stretching to listen to distant sounds.” Castlemann goes on to elucidate how giraffe ears contain empathy, non-judgment, curiosity, and focus.
I’ve seen how empathetic listening companions with gross sales efficiency as a result of it permits the prospect to open up extra about their actual issues and what they’re scuffling with.
This strategy not solely made it simpler for me to attach as a gross sales consultant, however it additionally allowed me to introduce an answer tailor-made that will deal with their wants and considerations, enabling me to find out if it might be a appropriate match by merely listening to the prospect additional.
Methods to Develop This Trait
- Slowing down, reflecting on what you hear, and pausing earlier than responding.
6. Grit within the Small Moments
For me, “grit within the small moments” means exhibiting persistent effort and self-discipline within the small, day by day decisions that form long-term success. It reveals up as making yet another chilly name, writing yet another customized line, or pushing by means of resistance in small, but highly effective methods.
As Buzzboard notes, growing gross sales grit isn’t an in a single day course of, however it may be fostered by assembly adversity with a optimistic mindset and studying to surmount challenges.
As a B2B gross sales rep, chilly calling was nearly all of my workflow. One time, I noticed an inspirational message on LinkedIn encouraging gross sales reps to make yet another name, even when you’re experiencing rejection, objections, or dead-end calls: make yet another name.
I took that recommendation to coronary heart and utilized the identical mindset to all the pieces in my work, together with emails, calls, and researching ICPs. Having that reminder to make use of your grit to do yet another factor and push ahead is an effort that top-selling representatives ought to make.
Methods to Develop This Trait
- Creating rituals round outreach blocks, constructing supportive habits, and reviewing small day by day wins.
7. Self-Compassion
Self-compassion is all about treating your self with kindness, understanding, and encouragement, particularly in moments of failure or frustration. It helps you get well from tough days, scale back burnout, and preserve confidence even when the numbers aren’t in your favor.
You’re human; due to this fact, you have to be sincere with your self and present some self-love. Whereas teaching different gross sales reps, my mantra to them is to be type to your self, understanding that you’ll not all the time guide the assembly, hit quota, or pitch the very best pitch.
And sure — I took my very own recommendation and practiced self-compassion once I didn’t meet quota in my first quarter as a brand new B2B gross sales consultant.
I feel self-compassion needs to be the primary unconventional trait of high gross sales reps. Give your self permission to fail, bounce again, and get well. It’s completely okay to easily “be” with out doing all the pieces on a regular basis.
Methods to Develop This Trait
- Catching damaging self-talk, reframing failure as suggestions, and treating your self such as you’d deal with a teammate.
Gross sales Success Traits That Meet You The place You Are Going
As you construct out your gross sales abilities in your present function, I encourage you to actually hone in on which of those traits will honor not solely what you’re dealing with in the meanwhile but in addition what you are attempting to realize in your gross sales profession.
Wanting again on my gross sales expertise, I used to be the other. I used to be so targeted on the longer term, the outcome, and the massive second that I uncared for the small moments, self-regulation, and compassion for the current. These unconventional traits of high gross sales reps are a remix and spin-off of conventional gross sales approaches, however they are often utilized in any gross sales setting.
Whether or not you’re a gross sales consultant or a gross sales supervisor, bear in mind that these gross sales success traits are established to assist enhance gross sales efficiency by means of ability and self-awareness, balancing metrics with mindset.
