Ten Traits You Need to Make It in Sales (From Experienced Reps)

Are you a college student looking to enter the exciting world of sales? Or maybe you have a few years of experience in the workforce and are looking for something new? Either way, you’re starting down an exciting path in which each interaction you have is an important step for moving your career forward. We’re here to help make the process easier with our three-part series that includes tips for getting a job as a salesperson and excelling in the field.

You’ve got your first or new job in sales, and it’s time to start making progress. Like any career, your education and past experience can only prepare you so much for the real thing. Impact’s experienced sales reps and managers have already tasted the sweetness of success and the bitterness of defeat. Here they share what traits they believe newbies in sales should focus on in order to develop a strong skillset and relationships with their team.

Resilience

Sales is a tough business, full of rejection from the start. It’s hard not to take these rejections personally. If you want to make sales a long-term career, it’s necessary to be able to let things go. When you find yourself feeling down, shake it off, take a deep breath, review the situation and try to learn from it. Think about what you can do differently next time. It pays to have a short-term memory in sales; just because things didn’t work out today doesn’t mean they won’t work out tomorrow.

Coachability

As a new sales rep, you’ll spend a lot of time working under an experienced rep or sales manager. Use that to your advantage! They’ve already faced the same obstacles you’ll encounter. Listen to their advice and ask them to help you brainstorm an appropriate response when faced with difficult situations. Your manager’s job is to be a resource for you. Go to them if you need tips for how to close a sale, how to better present yourself in front of a client or ideas for goals, your sales managers are there to help.

3 P’s: Passion, Patience and Positivity

As mentioned in our previous article, it’s tough not to slip into negativity on days when you get doors closed in your face or are repeatedly told “no.” You have to stay positive. Success takes time. Don’t expect everything to happen for you all at once, or you’ll end up feeling defeated very quickly. When you can, give yourself time to clear your head and re-think your strategies.

Collaborative

When you’re working to hit your numbers, you might start looking at your fellow sales team members as your competition. Independence and ambition are important, but so is teamwork. Every member of a sales team has different strengths and weaknesses, and by working together and practicing open communication, the team is more likely to succeed in the long run. You don’t need to compromise your own goals, but don’t be afraid to ask for help or learn some tips from someone else.

Hunger to Learn

No matter what vertical you’re focusing on, there’s bound to be change. If you aren’t willing to take time out to learn more about related services, technology and solutions that your company offers, or could potentially offer, you’re more than likely to fall behind. It’s important to continue sharpening your sales skills with training classes and referencing online and paper materials.

Simplicity

When in doubt, go back to the basics. If you develop a tendency to overcommit to too many projects or oversell your services, you may end up with nothing. Organize your plan of action when working on a sale; be aware of timelines and goals, and think about what the customer wants and how they can get it by working with you.

Adaptability

You can plan every step of the way, but it’s impossible to predict how every sales call or meeting will go. Get used to thinking on your feet and keeping a cool, calm exterior in situations that take a turn. If you have a few different tactics up your sleeve and less of a strict expectation for how things should go, it will be much harder for a potential client to catch you off guard.

Fearlessness

If you wanted a job that was exactly the same every single day, you wouldn’t have been looking at sales to begin with. Feel empowered to take risks; walk into a new business, ask a question that you haven’t before, change up your approach to rapport. The world around you is evolving, so doing the same script forever won’t merit the same rewards. It’s up to you to push beyond your own boundaries and embrace your own fears to see just how much you’re capable of.

This is part two in our series of tips for new and inexperienced salespeople. We will be posting additional content throughout the month; read part one and stay tuned for more!

Sold on the idea of a career at Impact? Want to learn more about upcoming recruiting events? Contact our Recruiting team at [email protected].