The Essential Traits of a Good Sales Representative

At Wildcat Oil Tools, we recently conducted a Senior Manager’s Meeting. One of the topics was what makes a good sales representative? I had my own views, but to prepare for the meeting I researched the traits that others look for. Through this process I identified ten traits that a good sales representative possesses. If you’re involved in sales, I encourage you to consider this list and determine your strengths and weaknesses. If you’ll then focus on improving your areas of weakness, I promise that you’ll become a better sales representative.

1.     Honesty and Integrity.

Honesty and integrity are similar traits. A person acts with integrity and speaks honestly. Acting with integrity means adhering to principles, promises, and values. In short, ethics. A good sales representative has a reputation for adhering to high ethical standards. When is the last time you bought something from someone that you didn’t trust? Your customers will make judgments about the standards that you hold yourself to just by watching you at work and in your interactions with others. Leave no room for doubt. Adhere to the highest ethical standards in everything that you do.

2.     Professionalism

People buy from people not companies. For you, that means learning how to connect with your customers and becoming a person that they respect. Don’t bad mouth your competition, respect your customer, and control your ego. Be on time when you have an appointment, don’t waste a customer’s time, never engage in high-pressure tactics, and dress appropriately for the environment and occasion.

3.     Product Knowledge

It’s hard to sell something that you know nothing about. It’s even harder when what you think you know is wrong. Become an expert on your company’s products and services. If your company has literature, have that available when you make a call so that you have something to refer to and leave with the customer. Most customers will ask similar questions that you’re well prepared for, but from time to time you’ll get a new question. If you don’t know the answer, don’t guess. Tell the customer what you’re going to do to get an answer and when you’ll have that answer. Then make sure that you meet your promise.

4.     Customer Resource.

A good sales representative is in the solution business. You want your customers to think of you when they have a problem. To get there, you must have a good reputation for honesty and integrity, and a firm foundation of product knowledge. Sometimes this means steering your customers elsewhere if your products are insufficient to meet their needs or are more than they need, but in the long run, this type of honesty will make your far more successful because it encourages the customer to think of you as a resource.

5.     Good Listener.

You’ve heard it said that God gave us two ears and only one mouth for a reason. Too often we walk into a meeting believing that the only way to make a sale is by pushing the qualities and attributes of our products and services rather than by considering what the customer really needs. When you’re too focused on what you’re going to say, you sometimes fail to hear what the customer is saying and, as a result, you miss an opportunity.  A good sales representative walks into a meeting prepared to speak, but they actually spend more time listening to the customer. This is how you learn what they actually want and need – and sometimes it isn’t what either of you originally thought. It’s a lot easier to sell something the customer needs than not. You can help yourself by asking customers probing questions. Be sure that you understand your customer’s situation, needs, and expectations and then show them how your products and services will meet their needs.

6.     Productive.

Use your time wisely. Focus on the actions in your field that promote customer contact. This requires discipline. For example, the best time to catch a customer may be early in the day before they get busy which means getting out of bed earlier than you’d like. No one like cold calls, but you’ll never grow your book of business without seeing new people.  Don’t confuse being busy with being productive.  A lot of useless activity is nothing more than a waste of your time.

7.     Confident.

No one intentionally buys a product that won’t work as expected. They buy a product because they believe it will solve a problem, or address a need. You can’t convey the confidence your customer needs in your products and services unless you have that confidence yourself. If you have a confidence problem, ask yourself why do you lack confidence? If it’s a lack of product knowledge, then spend some time studying. If it’s inexperience, work with a mentor, ask questions of other sales representatives, watch training videos. Do whatever it takes to enable you to walk into a customer’s office knowing without any doubt in your mind that your product or service will solve their problem better than anything else on the market.

8.     Continual Self-Improvement.

I like to set annual goals. I’ve found that a good goal motivates me to do the little extra activities that separate good enough from excellent. A good goal is objective and measurable. Don’t simply say I’m going to be more productive this year. A better goal is to sell X units or secure X new customers by the end of the year. If you need some help, a good technique is to take a comprehensive inventory of your strengths and weaknesses and find something that, if accomplished by the end of the year, will improve an area of weakness. And, when you meet your goal, find another one. 

9.     Effective Social Media.

Sales and marketing go hand and hand. How we market ourselves and our products is significantly different today than it was 25 years ago. Today companies spend millions of dollars annually using social media applications that didn’t exist just a few years ago.  If you’re not effectively using social media today, you’re at a serious disadvantage.  

10. FOLLOW UP.. FOLLOW UP.. FOLLOW UP..

One of biggest mistakes sales representatives make is never following up on a call, visit, or lead. It can be as simple as sending an email thanking them for their time and sharing with them some additional information about your product or service. But, don’t get lazy and rely solely on emails. Personal contact is always more effective. A good opportunity for a personal visit is after a sale. Go to the customer’s office and ask them if they were satisfied, and if not why not, and learn what suggestions they have for ways to improve your companies’ service.