What Makes a Good Salesperson?

ChicExecs VP of Global Strategic Accounts, Lydia Vargo, talks about the five qualities good salespeople should have on Forbes blog. Whether you like it or not, sales makes the world go ’round. The good news is that you don’t have to be a natural-born salesperson to succeed in the world of sales. In fact, as long as you have other peoples best interests at heart (with an eye for growing your business), you already have the makings of a great salesperson.

Sales isn’t about picking up the phone and harassing uninterested people. Great salespeople are trying to build a business. They look at sales not as something they do to people, but as a collaborative process between themselves and the client. Good sales skills can mean more money in your pocket and a better customer experience. As you cultivate these five qualities to boost your sales skills, she explains that this isn’t something that happens overnight.

“Practice and grow your sales skills over time. Hone them like you would any other skill, and you could see increased sales, happier customers and a thriving business.”

Hone Your Sales Skills By Cultivating These Five Qualities

1. Get Competitive “Get energized by the idea of outdoing yourself, your fellow salespeople and your competitors.

2. Listen “Don’t treat client calls as a chance to pontificate; treat them as equitable conversations. You should still lead the call, but you need to give the customer time to respond.

3. Be Resilient “One month you might be riding high on a wave of closings and commissions. The next, no one returns your phone calls and you experience a dry spell. Let rejection and failure motivate you.

4. Be Confident “Confidence is the currency of sales. A good salesperson comes off as confident, in control and informative ” even if, deep down they are filled with insecurity.

5. Be Honest “Sales is not about tricking people into buying a subpar product. Good salespeople should be honest from the start and should only want to sell you something that you need for your personal and professional success.

Read Lydia Vargo’s full article to learn more about the five qualities good salespeople should have.