To be successful in the industry, there are a variety of sales personality traits that are valuable. Some traits may come naturally while others require some effort to master. 

The following are highlights of traits that sellers should embrace and put into practice. Cultivating these will improve how you connect with others and boost the value you offer.

3 Sales Personality Traits That Sellers Should Possess

One of the most vital traits for sellers is resiliency. As any rep can tell you, sales is a tough industry where rejections and objections can easily break your pride. 

In their research, ValueSelling Associates found that successful sellers were resilient despite the hurdles they face. 

“Objections are a core part of being in sales, and those who can persevere through it are the most successful. When top performers face adversity, they are resilient and look for the lesson. They don’t take rejection or adversity personally.”

Building one’s resilience is possible and worth the effort. If this is a trait that you’d like to improve, consider these tips from Sales Health Alliance’s Jeff Riseley:

• Become more mindful of when your focus and attention gets stuck processing negative experiences. Learn to let go of negative experiences and thoughts.
• Boost your optimism by focusing on positive experiences. “Regain perspective and train your attention to spend more time focused on positive experiences,” he notes.
• Remain objective and keep the bigger picture in mind.

Putting these efforts into practice will soon turn them into habits. As Riseley explains, “Every day, salespeople must persevere through an abundance of negative triggers, experiences and thoughts. This is why it’s important for them to build resilience in sales.”

For more guidance on adjusting your mindset to help with resiliency, take a look at SalesFuel’s article on the topic.

Out-​Of-​The-​Box Thinking

Another valuable sales personality trait is the ability to think and approach solutions differently than competitors. 

“Every client is unique – this means the solution to their problems will also be unique,” writes Lance D'Souza for SmartReach. “It takes a thoughtful and creative sales mind to understand a client’s unique requirements and truly help them. A salesperson needs to know creative and innovative ways to help a client.”

SalesFuel supports the importance of this kind of thinking in sales with the Voice of the B2B Buyer study. 35% of buyers, “creative, out-​of-​the-​box thinking” is a top attribute they seek in sellers. 

While this personality trait isn’t a strength for everyone, it can be nurtured. Consider connecting with a sales coach. Coaching can help you adjust your approach to a prospect’s issues, helping you use a different perspective. 

A coach can help you tap into your own unique creativity that will delight prospects and allow for stronger collaborations. 

Empathetic

As SalesFuel has discussed, empathy is a powerful sales personality trait. Caring, and demonstrating that care, is valued by everyone a seller encounters. And again, SalesFuel’s research shows that buyers want to work with a seller who cares about them and their business. 

Even if you are a naturally empathetic person, being able to show that empathy may be a challenge. One way to do this is to use empathy statements during conversations. 

“One of the easiest ways to build [a] connection is with empathy statements,” writes HubSpot’s Meg Prater. She offers several suggestions of these statements, including:

• “That would be frustrating to me too.”
• “What’s the best-​case scenario for your company?”
• “So, if I’m hearing you correctly, you’re saying …”
• “I can help with that.”

You can show the other person that you care about them and their business by adding empathy statements. These statements can help you demonstrate your concern for clients in conversations while also working together to find a solution.

Even if you don’t feel like you possess these sales personality traits, you can take steps to build them. And for even more valuable traits to embrace, check out SalesFuel’s article. 

Photo by Thirdman