A sales team is continually expected to perform in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Nobody feels this pressure more than the sales manager. They are the ones expected to drive their sales force to quota-shattering greatness, quarter after quarter.
As your sales team begins to scale, it’s up to the sales team lead or the hiring manager to know what qualities make a good salesperson so they can hire top salespeople for their team.
The traits of a great salesman are essential when evaluating sales talent, as you need to assess the candidate’s cultural fit. The decision will ultimately be made by considering more than just the skills of a successful salesperson and their record of hitting targets – you want to ensure they have the right attitude and character traits for your company so they’ll mesh well with your team.
In this article, we’ll explain how to find and understand these traits and why they’re important. We’ll also give you some practical interview ideas to help streamline your hiring process – this list of 25 qualities to search for in your next sales hire will make your final decisions much easier.
We wrap up the article by sharing the absolute number one character trait you need to prioritize for all of your future sales hires, so stick around for number 25! So, what makes a good salesperson? Read on to find out...
Traits of those who take action (and action = sales)
1. Ambitious: You want someone who wants to grow in this position (as well as thrive in the sales world). Ask what they see themselves doing in one year, three years and five years – what does it look like?
2. Passionate: Passion sells, clients can feel it and you want your team members to genuinely believe in what they are selling. Ask why they want to sell your product and what it means to them.
3. Bold: Find a salesperson who isn’t afraid to make the call, hit the C-suite or get on stage. Ask them how they would feel about delivering an elevator speech to the entire sales team. Do they jump on it?
4. Tenacious: You want an optimist who won’t back down and won’t take no for an answer. Tell them why you don't think they are a good fit for the job, and see if they fight to change your mind.
5. Assertive: Salespeople can't be shrinking violets. Ask how they would handle returning a meal that wasn’t good.
6. Confident: Attitude is everything. Ask them to sell you something on the spot by handing them a pen and saying, “sell me this pen!”. This answer showcases their communication skills, too, as you’ll get a preview of how they’d structure a sales pitch.
7. Motivated: Without this, you can forget about reaching your quota. Ask, “What is your WHY?” Do they enjoy fulfilling clients’ needs by helping them find the right solution? Do they thrive off of talking to people and building relationships?
8. Driven: This is what puts motivation into action. After asking them their “why” ask them what they DID once they determined their purpose. What pushed them to action?
9. Competitive: Competition is what drives people to greatness. Tell them the top performers’ numbers and ask if they can beat them. After all, you’re looking to hire top salespeople who crave coming first place, not average reps who settle for “just enough is good enough”.
Inner traits of an ethical salesperson
10. Courteous: This one gives you insights into their personality traits. See if they thank you right after the interview (extra points for a handwritten letter).
11. Honest: You want people you can trust with your firm and your clients. Ask what they would do in a “grey area” scenario, where they could get away with fudging the numbers on a small deal. (If they can’t be trusted in small things, can they be trusted with big things?).
12. Helpful: This helps you uncover their customer service skills. Ask what they did the last time one of their clients had a challenge with their product or service. This answer will shed light on how they manage customer needs and if they will be successful at overcoming challenges and building lasting relationships.
13. Humble: Egomaniacs can destroy a sales team, and karma usually has a way of catching up with them. Ask them about previous team accomplishments and if they credit others. Individual wins are important, but collaboration is key to any successful sales process.
14. Healthy: Sales is stressful, and you want someone who won’t break down and can maintain a positive attitude. Ask them what they do to reduce stress.
15. Caring: Empathy puts you on the same side of the table as the prospect. Ask if they’ve previously volunteered anywhere.
Traits of a good deal-closer
16. Intelligence “book smarts”: The smart take from the strong. Ask what their greatest educational achievement was and why.
17. Intelligence “street smarts”: Make sure they have common sense. You don’t want pushovers. Tell them an obviously fabricated story and see if they pick up on it. Play it off if they do. Run if they don’t!
18. Awareness: Can they take the measure of a person? Read a room? Ask them about the person who walked them back to your office. If you’re a remote company, ask them about the person at your company they first spoke to on the phone or via video. Did they pay attention and can they answer?
19. Inquisitive: Inquisitive salespeople uncover needs and pain points. Do they ask more than just cursory questions about the position? See if they ask about your career track with the firm.
20. Organized: Cluttered workspace = cluttered mind = distractions = no sales. Ask them how they manage their time. What’s their system? Do they have a system? How do they handle multitasking?
21. Analytical: Very helpful for complex sales. Question them about a challenging sale you worked on. Do they ask for more info or more data to help determine an answer? Not only does this shed light on their problem-solving skills, but it also tests to see if they have good listening skills. How well did they understand your previous challenging sales story? Are they capable of active listening under pressure?
22. Learner: Great salespeople are always looking to improve and get better. Ask them about the last book they read or class they took. Top sales reps encompass adaptability and a hunger to constantly level up their skills.
23. Social IRL: Do they like people, and are they known outside of their circle? What do they do in their community? Good relationships IRL often translate to strong customer relationships at work.
24. Social Online: Are they good at social selling? Ask what platforms they’re on. How often do they post and engage with followers/connections?
The number 1 most important trait the best salespeople share
No clickbait here. Let’s get straight to the point.
25. Optimism
The best salespeople almost exclusively share one key trait.
Regardless of the situation, successful salespeople remain positive.
A seminal study completed by psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman was produced on behalf of insurance company Met Life in the 1980s, to help them improve their hiring processes. They spent huge sums training new salespeople, but over half of their agents quit within their first year.
Dr. Seligman specialized in the study of optimism and positive psychology. He created an optimism screening test and followed around 1500 new Met Life sales professionals over 12 months.
Those with an optimistic outlook outsold pessimists by as much as 21% in the first year and 57% in the second. Those with rankings in the top 10% of scores sold 88% more insurance than those in the bottom 10%.
Make sure you hire an optimistic salesperson
Does your candidate believe that no matter what happened on the last call, pitch or meeting, the next one will be better?
Do they genuinely believe in themselves and their ability against all odds?
A salesperson without fierce optimism is someone who is defeated after their first inevitable failure. You want someone who will dust off the rejection, pick themselves up, and attack their next target with a positive outlook.
Failure is part of sales. Your salesperson's reaction to that failure is critically linked to your long-term success.
A more efficient hiring process gives you more precious time
Your job is challenging enough: monitoring your CRM to track daily numbers, keeping up with sales reports and making sure your reps have a healthy sales pipeline – especially if they’re working remotely or in the field.
Sales managers live in an increasingly metrics-driven environment with never-ending pressure to be more efficient, yet the hiring process remains neglected.
With this “cheat sheet”, you’ll be able to save time during the interview process and make sure you make the right hiring decision for your company. The costs and lost time associated with making the wrong hire can be a serious productivity clamp. Instead of driving more leads, sales and profits, you’ll find yourself stuck managing internal HR problems.
Use this list to trigger your candidates to open up and share their thoughts so you can determine if they’ve got the makings of the next sales superstar for your growing sales team.
Once you’ve added new sales reps to your team, you will want to make sure they’re well-trained to achieve sales success at speed. One of the best ways to ramp up your new hire is to sign up for our free two-week email course called the Sales Pipeline Course, where our co-founder Timo Rein teaches you a series of simple, practical and actionable lessons on how to make more sales.
8 steps to finding the perfect salesperson for your team
Hiring the right salesperson is critical to sustaining success as your business grows. Whether it’s your first hire or an addition to your team, it’s important to recognize the traits that define a successful salesperson.
These include consistently meeting and exceeding sales quotas, a proactive and confident approach to work and a strong ability to use technology to boost productivity. Identifying these qualities can be challenging amid charismatic interviews, but they’re essential for ensuring continued growth.
To help you make the best hiring decisions, we’ve created an eight-stage template to guide you and your team in finding the right salesperson to drive your business forward.
1. How to find good salespeople
To find a good salesperson, identify your specific sales recruiting needs. Determine whether you need a new salesperson to complement your team or an experienced professional to lead it.
Before drafting a job description, assess your current business needs, identify experience gaps in your sales department and set a realistic salary budget. Reflect on past hiring mistakes, particularly if previous employees didn’t fit your definition of a successful salesperson, and learn from those experiences.
A high-performing salesperson consistently meets sales quotas, works confidently and proactively and leverages technology for efficiency. Look for these traits, along with critical thinking and excellent listening skills, which enable salespeople to effectively address client needs and challenges.
2. Write the salesperson’s job description
When writing a job description, focus on key factors like experience, skills and the attributes of a good salesman that ensure a good culture fit. Set realistic, trackable expectations, and be honest about the daily responsibilities and challenges of the sales role.
Specific language, such as detailing the tools used and team dynamics, provides a clearer picture of the work environment.
Define the required skills and experience to help filter out unsuitable applicants. Highlight the importance of empathy and problem-solving abilities, as these soft skills are crucial for successful salespeople who build strong client relationships.
3. Reach out to the right candidates
Use different recruitment channels to find top sales professionals. Start by targeting actively seeking salesperson candidates, but don’t overlook passive candidates who may not be job hunting but could be persuaded with a compelling pitch. Use platforms like LinkedIn and personalized email outreach to attract these candidates.
Emphasize qualities such as optimism, ambition and problem-solving ability in your communications. Top salespeople are driven by competition and continuous improvement, making them ideal for roles where they can make a significant impact.
4. Review your candidates strategically
Be clear on non-negotiable criteria when reviewing candidates for a salesperson role. Focus on those with relevant industry experience and a proven track record. Avoid candidates who claim success without tangible results. Instead, look for sales achievements backed by data and a consistent performance history.
Consider a candidate’s ability to make strategic decisions, such as knowing when to walk away from unlikely prospects. Evaluate their understanding of sales cycles, KPIs and adaptability to your company culture.
5. Develop a clear interview process
Establish a structured interview process with three stages: an informal chat to assess cultural fit and personality, a formal meeting to test sales expertise and a sales presentation to evaluate performance under pressure.
Use these stages to gauge a candidate’s ability to handle rejection, adapt to different sales situations and make strategic decisions. Focus on how well they can respond to difficult questions and scenarios, which will reveal their problem-solving skills and resilience in a sales environment.
6. Interview the candidate with purpose
Design your interviews to elicit the specific information needed to evaluate a salesperson’s fit for your team. Ask targeted questions that assess responsibility, motivation, adaptability and persistence. Explore their strategic approach to sales and how they manage tasks and deals.
Encourage candidates to present metrics and discuss challenges they’ve overcome, offering insights into their sales performance and long-term potential.
7. Make an offer and negotiate
Keep communication open with top candidates to avoid losing them to other opportunities. When making an offer, observe how the candidate negotiates, as this reflects their sales skills. A successful salesperson will negotiate effectively, demonstrating preparation, flexibility and the ability to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
Their approach to negotiation can provide insights into how they’ll handle future client interactions, making this phase critical in assessing their suitability for your sales team.
8. Onboarding your new sales hire
Integrate your new salesperson into the team by familiarizing them with company culture, objectives and processes. Provide thorough training on your sales process, buyer personas and performance metrics. Encourage active participation in team meetings and shadowing sessions with experienced colleagues to accelerate their learning.
Incorporate regular feedback loops to help the new salesperson refine their approach and quickly become a valuable team member. This structured onboarding process ensures they’re well-equipped to contribute positively to your sales team.
Final thoughts
Building a successful sales team requires more than identifying a salesperson with the right skills. It’s about finding individuals who embody the key traits that drive long-term success.
Qualities like optimism, ambition and ethical behavior are essential in shaping a resilient and effective salesforce. By focusing on these traits during the hiring process, you can ensure that your new hires will meet your sales targets and contribute positively to your team’s culture and overall growth.
Remember, hiring the right salesperson is just the beginning. The real value comes from ongoing training, support and a structured onboarding process that equips them to hit the ground running.
