Did you know that you really can become the salesperson you want to be? In other words, your skill level is not at all static or “set in stone.” Rather… your sales prowess is the masterpiece of your own making.
Most people want to be be able to make a good living at what they do so they can have a happy, healthy, secure life. It’s normal to have that drive, to be reasonably successful or prosperous, with friends, peace of mind, and hope for the future.
But do you ever wonder if you really have what it takes to be one of the ridiculously successful people in sales?
Maybe you’ve hit roadblocks, speed bumps, and dead ends that have left you feeling like it’s never going to happen. And maybe the conversation you’re having with yourself is this:
“Nothing ever goes right for me! Every time I make a little progress I slide back — I can never level up. I’m never going to have the kind of success I want.”
You look around at others and it seems to confirm this — because when we play the comparison game we always feel that we don’t measure up.
This idea of taking control over who we become is a concept that Zig Ziglar shared in practically all his talks and books.
But one of his most famous talks gets to the heart of what it takes. And so we present to you, the 15 qualities that the most successful people have in common. We flesh out his framework and blend in some exclusive insight to help you put these qualities into practice.
But before we jump in, try this exercise:
Ask yourself, who is the most successful person you know personally? It doesn’t matter what they do for a living. It doesn’t matter whether they’re a man or a woman, or where they live. And (perhaps counterintuitively) it also doesn’t matter how rich they are. We all know that being wealthy isn’t the only measure of success — money is pointless if you’re miserable, alone, and in poor health.
So just for a minute, bring that person up in your mind. If you have trouble thinking of someone, just consider this: if you had to trade lives with someone you know, who would you trade with?
The 15 Qualities of “Ridiculously Successful” Salespeople
#1 They have a positive mental attitude
Nothing is perfect, and those people who focus on the negative will always find evidence that things are going wrong and leading nowhere. It takes a positive mental attitude to be successful in sales to withstand rejection, dead ends, and to carry a sale through when you’re not getting clear feedback from the prospect. To improve your attitude, it may take some time and effort. Consider the 9 Ways To Be More Positive by Lifehack and see if any of these work for you.
#2 They have great faith
The ability to see past present circumstances and consider what “could be” is paramount. If you had no faith at all, you would never pick up the phone to call a prospect. Faith is the belief that something can happen. That call could turn into your next big sale.
#3 They have desire
There is no doubt that to be successful in sales you must set compelling personal sales goals and be driven to achieve those. This is not a business for someone who would rather stay in bed than take the world by the horns.
#4 They have enthusiasm
A very successful salesperson needs to be able to instill a sense of excitement into their prospect. In many ways, purchases are highly emotional. If you can’t convey a sense of urgency and opportunity in a pitch, it will fall flat every time.
#5 They are a good listener
As you’ve hopefully learned by now, success in sales is often determined by how well you can tailor your pitch to your prospect. If you haven’t carefully listened to their motivations, desires, goals and concerns, you won’t be speaking to their needs — and they’ll certainly lose interest.
#6 They have a sense of humor
Can you see the humor in life’s absurdities? You don’t have to be a comedian to be a good salesperson, but when things don’t go your way, you should always make sure to find something to lighten the mood. Suppose something happens to your presentation slides at a big meeting. If you show a bad temper in this moment in front of your prospects, you can almost guarantee you’ll lose the sale. No one wants to buy from someone who is whiny and childish. But improvize and play it cool with a side of self-deprecation and you may just become interesting and likeable enough to buy from.
#7 They have integrity
Integrity is a personal choice — a decision to hold yourself to a high standard of morals and ethics. To be a person with good morals is essential. When people are being sold to, they are on high alert. Many can sense if you are a person of good character in the way they talk, show respect for the other party and their well being, and follow through with what they say.
#8 They have consistency
They say that much of success lies in simply “showing up” — so are you continually present when and where it counts? To stay top-of-mind, you can’t just do a bunch of LinkedIn posts one month and then disappear from the platform the next. Build trust by showing people that you can be expected to show up, again and again. If that feels like a bit of an overload, try sticking to just one or two things that you’ve committed to do every week, like a weekly blog post or a weekly outreach on LinkedIn.
#9 They have a good self-image
Before other people will believe in you, you have to believe in you. Muhammad Ali was famously quoted as saying, “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was.” If you don’t yet have the confidence to succeed, you’ll need to convince yourself that you’re capable in advance. To improve your self image, begin to replace the negative thoughts in your mind with positive ones, and use repetition to help cement those thoughts in your mind.
#10 They have love for people they interact with
There is a saying by Maya Angelou that goes, “At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” Some of the most successful people in the world are famously known for remembering people’s names and treating them like they’re the only person in the room. To do this, treat others with respect and dignity, and make an attempt to get to know what’s most important to them and talk about it. Love is not self-serving. Put other people first and watch what happens.
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#11 They are honest
This one is pretty straightforward. Make honesty part of the core of your character. Lying may feel like it gets you ahead, but over time you’ll distance yourself from reality and lose the faith of your customers. Don’t lie to people or manipulate them into deals. If this honesty is a weakness for you, consider why you do it so often. Identify your triggers and make a plan for what you’ll do instead.
#12 They are an encourager
Do you genuinely want the success of those around you? If you’re driven to compete and discourage other people, they will leave you out of opportunities and secretly wish for you to fail. Instead, remember that a rising tide lifts all ships. It’s possible to enjoy massive success while also being inspiring to others instead of walking on them.
#13 They are a hard worker
If someone were to call you up in the office, would you be caught wasting time by surfing the net or playing solitaire? These types of salespeople aren’t the ones that end up enjoying high levels of success. You may think you can push hard and then slack off, but it takes endurance and focus to become really successful. A study published in Psychology Today exposed that hard work beats talent when a talented person doesn’t work hard. So, if you’re relying on a talent like charisma (notice charisma isn’t on this list) then we can guarantee you won’t become the great salesperson you could be.
# 14 They are sincere
None of this works if it’s forced. OK, it may feel forced at first, but until these qualities start coming naturally to you, you’ll be missing this critical piece: sincerity. Although it’s easy to hide behind a facade and mask your contempt for your company and customers with a big fake grin, that practice will inevitably hold you back.
#15 They are compassionate
Compassion is a lot like sympathy — if you have compassion on someone it means you have concern if they suffer or encounter misfortune. You absolutely need to be compassionate to succeed at the highest levels. People with zero compassion are likely to be considered narcissists and sociopaths — and those people never prosper!
So now that you’ve read the full list, which of these do you need to start working on? None of these qualities are taught in school, and many of us didn’t learn these concepts in the home or in any sales seminars.
Don’t feel bad if you know that it’s really the whole list you need to work on! And really, these aren’t all that different than what makes a successful person in general, so by focusing on these you’ll improve your whole life, not just your business. At C-Level Partners, these are qualities we hold ourselves and each other accountable to, and we can say without question that they have become integral to our success as a company.
If you’re looking to up your sales game and really dominate your market, without sacrificing what it means to be a good person, get in touch with us today.