Qualities of successful salesmen vary from industry to industry and country to country where the firm wants to market its products and services. There is question is what are the qualities of a good salesperson and a bad salesperson. But a general list of qualities of a successful salesman may be prepared. and you can find out the answer.
Qualities of Successful Salesman
These general qualities are as follows:
1. Product Knowledge
The salesman must process comprehensive and intensive knowledge of products to be sold by him.
It serves as an important asset to the salesman and enhances his communication skills.
When natural of product to be sold by the salesman is technical and semi-technical, product knowledge becomes key factor of success.
Sound product knowledge serves twin purposes of effective communication and handling objections in an impressive manner.
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2. Take Lesson from Failures
He must take a lesson from failure. The same mistake should not be repeated in the future. Thus, his learning should be effective.
He must identify his weakness and should try hard to eliminate them.
3. Personality
The salesperson must possess an impressive personality.
Personality is a composition of various characteristics of a man’s personal appearance, habits, manners, way of dressing and addressing, posture, carriage.
4. Faith and Conviction
The salesman should have full faith and conviction in the products in which he is dealing.
It is the foundation for effective communication.
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5. Self Confident
It requires a thorough knowledge of the product, its uses, and misuses.
Tremendous self-confidence is required in a salesman. For this purpose, he must be having full knowledge of his strengths and ready to capitalize on them.
6. Expert Planning
The salesman should be an expert in macro and micro-planning.
7. Stamina
He should possess good stamina to work hard and continuously, like, he should not get exhausted quickly and easily.
8. Psychological Fit
His psychological health must be sound.
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9. Alertness
While dealing with the customers. He should satisfactorily remove all doubts raised by them.
He should be very alert, attentive and active so that he may be able to counter objections, remove apprehensions, locate and stress the actual need and serve in its best satisfaction.
10. Enhance Capabilities
Only challenge seeker salesman can continuously enhance his capabilities.
11. Systematic
A good salesman should be systematic.
12. Smile
Smile is great virtue for a successful salesman. A smile adds attraction to personality.
The salesman must be having an inner urge for advancement.
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13. Sound knowledge of Competitors
Sound knowledge of competitors’ products is also important quality. It is very essential for a comparative analysis of his own products with the products of competitors.
Spirit of competitiveness is also required in a successful salesman.
14. Qualifications
He must have good academic qualifications.
15. Physical Health
The person must possess perfect Physical health, which can afford climate and dietary variations in different countries.
His “body language” should be impressive.
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16. Language Knowledge
The salesperson must have knowledge of foreign languages of target markets.
He must have excellent in English speaking because it is an international language.
17. Enthusiasm
He should be able to face the inconvenience and reverse in the efforts happily and enthusiastically.
Optimisms and ambition are the keynotes of success.
18. Discipline
He should be disciplined in his talk, manner, and treatment with the customer.
Training in effectiveness sales methods.
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19. Knowledge of Customers
The salesperson must have complete knowledge of his target customers, particularly regarding their psychology, buying motives, lifestyles, social and cultural factors.
20. Social Traits
Social traits are also necessary for a successful salesperson.
Social traits include– courtesy, good manners, empathy, cooperation and helpfulness, tactful and ability to meet the public.
21. Sound Health
He must be a person of sound memory.
Sound imagination and creativity are another important virtue for a successful salesman.
Like, free from any physical handicaps like stammering, limping, etc. He sounds not to get exhausted quickly and easily.
22. Presence of Mind
He should be quick to grasp the situation and handle it according to the needs of the time.
23. Imaginative
Imaginative To tactful a customer who is quite unresponsive, silent, and undecided. Information should be elicited from him about his need.
Imaginative to Appreciate, understood, and satisfy the requirement of the customers by putting oneself mentally in the position of a buyer.
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24. Initiative
The initiative is needed in prospecting, approaching, and convincing the buyers even without prior direction.
Initiative is also needed in promoting a harmonious relationship between the two by communicating to each other their reactions and suggestions.
25. Sharp Memory
A capacity to recognize his customers, recall his interviews and recollect their specific requirements and suggestions.
26. Intelligent
Intelligent and must have a good common sense, general awareness, and positive attributes.
Ability to get along with the people.
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27. Tactful to deal with the People
Patient listener, Frank humorous, etc.
28. Convincing Conversationist
Convincing Conversationist and should be able to present his proposition pleasantly.
Sweet voice, clear pronunciation, good vocabulary, apt use of words and fluent expressive are essential ingredients of convincing and effective conversation.
29. Likable Disposition
Politeness, courteous, good manners, cheerfulness, good Humour, refinement in taste, pleasant habits make a man likeable.
30. Honesty and Sound Character
The salesman should be true, frank, straight forward, sincere, earnest and honest in his statement.
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31. Cooperative and Helpfulness
Cooperation with the customers, fellow salesman and employers are required.
32. Aptitude
He should possess a special aptitude, a special discipline of Mind, body, and heart. He should be creative and self-satisfying.
33. Communication Skills
Communication skills of a salesman should be very effective. Following may be very useful in this regard:
- An only a good listener can be effective communicator.
- Place value and time value should be kept in mind.
- Before presentation salesman should get rid of terror if any from the prospective buyer.
- The presentation should be natural.
- The attention value of the presentation should be high.
- Good suggestive value, which explains the suitability of the product to the prospective buyer is also useful.
- There must be interest value in the presentation. For this purpose, the message should be kept short and sweet.
- The salesman should refrain from self-praise, deviations, and duplications.
- Communication value is also essential. It means that decoding by the receiver should match with coding.
- Complete communication is also required, which means all things should be explained in a single presentation.
- It will be appropriate to prepare the client-specific presentation well in advance.
- The extempore style of presentation makes its own unique impact.
Thus, the above personal attributes are necessary to become a successful salesman.
