Common Attributes of a Top Seller Set 1

In previous post Do you CARE about your customersI present Pareto’s Principle which states that twenty percent of all salespeople make eighty percent of all sales, which means eighty percent of a sales force fights over the remaining 20 percent of business. This statistic reinforces how important it is to be in the top twenty percent of sellers. These top salespeople possess personalities and abilities that best fit selling as an occupation. In addition, 55 percent of salespeople have no ability to sell, and 25 percent have sales ability but are selling the wrong product or service (Greenberg and Greenberg, 1983). 

In the following three blogs I will presents three sets of attributes that researchers have identified for top sellers. Despite the studys and surveys presented top sellers are not born. Anyone can become a top seller by studying, practicing, concentrating, and focusing on his own performance (Basis International, 2002). 

Common Attributes of a Top Seller (Set 1)

The first set of common attributes comes from a recent study by the Harvard Business School. The study found that highly successful salespeople (BASIS International, 2002): 

•  do not take “no” personally;
•  take 100 percent responsibility for results;
•  possess empathy; 
• have above average ambition, empathy, and willpower and determination; 
• are intensely goal-oriented; 
• and can easily approach strangers. 

In addition, the study found that knowing how to sell effectively is not always second nature; these attributes can be learned and incorporated into a personal development plan for reaching top seller status.

Authors Patton and Sardar (2002) define five related qualities that they feel describe a successful salesperson: 

• high energy level;
• self-confidence;
• hunger for money; 
• well-established habits of industry; 
• and the ability to see obstacles as challenges. 

They believe that top sellers possess a compulsive need to win and hold the affection of others (Sardar and Patton, 2002). Ruth and Wysocki (2012) agree with all but one of the qualities that describe the successful salesperson. They do not agree that a hunger for money is a quality that describes a successful salesperson. While a hunger for money can lead to short-term sales success, long-term sales success is best nurtured by cultivation of internal motivating factors such as the needs to succeed and to make a difference.

References

Ruth A., Wysocki A.: Top Sellers: Characteristics of a Superior Salesperson Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sn004 [December, 2012]. 

Gitomer, J. (2001). Specific characteristics are what make top sales people tops. American City Business Journals. Retrieved February 6, 2002 from http://houston.bcentral.com/houston/stories/2001/07/02/smallb2.html.

Greenberg, H.M., & Greenberg, J. (1983). The personality of a top salesperson. Nations Business. Retrieved February 6, 2002 from http://www.calipercanada.com/personality.htm.

Sardar, A., & Patton, M.A. What makes a great salesperson?: Links between our heritage and the future. Retrieved February 7, 2002 from the Internet. [Site cannot be linked. To access online, direct your browser to <http://130.195.95.71:8081/www/ANZMAC1999/Site/S/Sardar.pdf>.


BASIS International. BASIS: Your Portal to E-Business. http://www.basis.com/advantage/magv4n2/portal.html [September 1, 2011]. 

Tamara Ćetković

Consultant, Coach & Project Manager