Two Qualities of Versatile Sales Professionals

Joe Weinlick
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Versatile sales professionals are able to bring their natural selling skills to nearly any type of sales job. Whether they are getting their start working in an outgoing call center or transitioning to a high-powered sales position in business-to-business merchandise, the most versatile sales professionals share a number of qualities. Here are two of the most important qualities a sales professional needs for a successful career.

One of the first good qualities a sales professional needs is flexibility. This is what turns the average salesperson into a versatile sales professional who is ready to take on whatever new challenge arises. A flexible salesperson is able to handle and overcome customer objections, working around obstacles and closing as many sales as possible.

Likewise, a flexible sales professional is able to handle change both within an individual company and within the sales industry as a whole. The rise of online marketing and sales, for example, drastically changed the way salespeople interact with customers. Now that customers are able to examine dozens of potential products or services with a few clicks, sales professionals need to apply different strategies to close sales and get customers to buy right now, instead of buying online later.

During sales industry changes, a flexible salesperson also knows where to go for the best sales jobs. As certain products become less popular while other areas experience significant growth, versatile sale professionals know when to transition into new jobs. This type of flexibility also comes in handy when growing a sales career and knowing when it is time to leave a job in search of new challenges.

The other quality essential to versatile sales professionals is good communication skills. Many salespeople assume they are good at communication, but they're really just good at following a sales script or providing rote responses to standard customer objections. To move up in a sales career and become a true sales professional, a person must learn both how to talk and how to listen.

Some salespeople don't actually listen to their customers at all; instead, they wait for the answers they expect to hear. The versatile sales professional listens carefully to get at the root of what the customer wants. Then, the sales professional finds a way to fill that customer's need.

Likewise, good communication skills are crucial to moving up the career ladder. Employers do not like salespeople who are cranky, grumpy or who communicate their own wants and needs in a negative manner. Learning how to communicate effectively in the workplace gives a versatile sales professional the skills needed to take on additional responsibility and grow a sales career.

There are many good qualities that help sales professionals close sales and build careers, but having strong communication skills and being flexible are two of the most important qualities a versatile sales professional can have. Developing these two qualities helps salespeople both advance on the career ladder and provide better service to customers and clients.

Photo courtesy of graur razvan ionut at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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