• The personality traits of top salespeople may have a significant impact on their success.
• Personality traits among salespeople, such as being trustworthy, friendly, and modest, may be the complete opposite of the traditional way others often view salespeople, which is pushy and arrogant.
• The Myers-Briggs Personality test may be able to predict which salespeople have the personality traits necessary for becoming top salespeople.

How do you rank above your competition if you have the same education, willingness and resources provided to you as other applicants?

The answer is simple: your personality. There are specific characteristics and personal traits that sales directors consider when hiring their next sales representative.

Although many entry-level sales employees learn most of their techniques from their authorities, the most successful ones are those with the natural skill to sell a product, idea or even lifestyle.

Steve W. Martin, a professor at the University of Southern California, did an in-depth study of over 1,000 salespeople and their most successful personality traits. He came up with seven identifying characteristics that separated the elite sales professionals from their average or subpar team members. Achievers who are extremely competitive, modest and able to take rejection are more likely to be successful in the sales industry. In the world of highly competitive online marketing agencies, a person with these sales traits fuels the excitement behind past, present, and future projects.

The top traits of a sales representative

Trust and transparency

The No. 1 one trait buyers are looking for in sales representatives is the ability to trust that their offers are true to their meaning, not exaggerated or hopeful insights. The more honest a salesperson is with their buyer about options and opportunities, the more likely a potential buyer will turn into a recurring client and a great referral.

Friendliness

Relationship-building is a required trait, too, but if a salesperson values the relationship more than the business efforts, it can become difficult to speak frankly with their client. In order to keep a business mentality, top salespeople refrain from making close relationships.

Achievement orientation

Success comes from carefully choosing the most promising person to accept your pitch and making the product or service relative to the company as a whole, instead of focusing on the actual function.

High emotional intelligence

Top salespeople are able to predict what the buyer may ultimately want and influence their thought process to fit the needs of both the customer and the company. Knowing the way certain kinds of people behave or respond to situations allows a salesperson to direct the outcome.

Resilient and optimistic

Possibly a more obvious trait is the ability to keep your head up after rejection. Top salespeople are extremely competitive and do not let losses affect their next sales approach.

Curiosity

When describing the personality of salespeople, curiosity is a common trait. Curiosity basically means striving for knowledge and information. Many salespeople are naturally curious individuals, especially when it comes to gaining knowledge about their counterparts. This inquisitiveness allows sales reps to ask their customers/clients questions, sometimes uncomfortable questions, to gain as much information as possible to allay customer concerns and issues and increase the probability of a sale.

Modesty

Although salespeople are often stereotyped as being pushy, a large number of top salespeople are actually very modest and have a high level of humility. Rather than crediting themselves as the sole reason why a customer purchased the product or service, they often put their other team members in a higher role as being responsible for the sale. For instance, they may recognize the person who scheduled the appointment as the sole reason for them making the sale.