14 Essential Qualities Of A Good Salesperson

Selling a product takes more than reading scripted lines, which is why not all salespeople are successful at building the relationships they need with customers to be successful. While selling comes naturally for some, it’s a big challenge for others.

So, what is it exactly that makes a salesperson good at selling? Below, 14 members of Forbes Business Council weigh in to discuss the qualities that a good salesperson possesses and how those qualities positively influence their selling ability.

Forbes Business Council members detail qualities that all good salespeople possess.

Photos courtesy of the individual members.

1. Practicing Active Listening

Active listening is an essential quality. Without this ability, the salesperson is just marketing their product or services and not selling. To sell, one has to identify the real need of the client and match that with a solution that meets the need as well as the client’s other constraints like financial, technical or structural. – Safir Adeni, Ineda Group

2. Finding An Emotional Connection

The best salespeople know how to find a deeper emotional connection to whatever it is they’re selling. People make decisions based on their feelings much more than their logic. So the strongest salespeople are strong storytellers selling something they emotionally connect with. It’s not something you can fake as any buyer will sense your lack of integrity if you do. – Sara Rodell, Loop & Tie

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3. Understanding The Product

Understand your product and the value it creates. Trying to sell a product that isn’t what the client already wants (or would want if they knew it existed) is challenging. Good salespeople actually choose the product they want to sell and make sure it’s a fit for the market. A company will not have a good sales team if they don’t have a good product. – Mike Schoenfeld, PRelocate

4. Having Excellent Interpersonal Skills

A successful salesperson will have excellent interpersonal skills and focus on building authentic connections with their customers. Customers want a salesperson to be personally invested in their success, not just landing the sale. – Kelley Higney, Bug Bite Thing

5. Approaching Sales As A Service

The best salespeople are those who are humble and those who approach sales as a service to others. It’s not about convincing someone to buy something they don’t need or telling people why you’re so great. It’s about identifying what creates value for them. If that’s something you can provide, helping the potential buyer navigate through their concerns to the point of making a purchasing decision. – Andrew Olsen, Altus Marketing

6. Asking Great Questions

Good salespeople—the very best—ask great questions. They can follow a question path that gets to the root of what’s important to the prospective customer. Those answers to those questions provide the information needed for a good salesperson to deliver a winning solution. – Todd Bavol, Integrity Staffing Solutions

7. Putting Yourself In Their Shoes

The ability to put themselves in the shoes of the customer is key for any great salesperson. This is an important quality that can enable the salesperson to tackle objections, have a deeper emotional connection with the customer and even increase the odds of securing the deal on hand. This also builds trust and enables the salesperson to table objections with more ease. – Sidhartha Peddinti, Social Impact Ventures LLC

8. Exhibiting Emotional Intelligence

Elite salespeople exhibit emotional intelligence (EQ). While a certain level of IQ is required to execute the task (competence), intellectual abilities alone will not bridge the gap from prospect to high-value client. EQ will drive rapport and trust which are foundational to influencing (advocacy) or selling (closing). This ability to positively influence starts with emotional intelligence. – Tej Brahmbhatt, Watchtower Capital

9. Being Honest With Clients

Honesty is key. If a salesperson is honest with his client, there is a high likelihood of closing a deal and creating a long-term relationship for future deals. The better connections a salesperson has, the better he is. – Adam Rudman, Apartments Near Me

10. Being Likeable And Trustworthy

A key trait is definitely likeability. If someone likes you they are more likely to trust you which puts you in the power position from a sales perspective. A good way to build likeability is to read the room and immediately identify connection points with prospects. Social media is a great way to do this prior to a meeting as you can quickly identify values, hobbies and passion points. – Muraly Srinarayanathas, Computek College

11. Having A Commitment To Growth

Great salespeople should exhibit a commitment to growth! Salespeople who cannot update their approach based on their experience have to take a brute force approach, hoping their prospect will be receptive to their sales style. Salespeople who commit to growing and learning from the prospects that didn’t say yes will ultimately have better and better client conversations in the long term. – Udi Dorner, SetSchedule

12. Being Optimistic

One quality that we do not innately look for is optimism. Selling is a unique skill and top selling individuals are highly influenced by an inner belief that no matter what happens during the present sales call, the next pitch, call or dialogue will have a better outcome. Clients can easily sense energy, drive and confidence in a sales person. All three traits are greatly impacted by optimism. – Loubna Noureddin, Mind Market LLC

13. Being Relatable And Knowledgeable

Relatability is key. Consult and not sell. Please hear the need and educate them about your solution—you’re halfway there. Accept the pros and cons of your business model and maintain transparency; don’t over- or underpromise and you’re already on your way to a successful and long-term business association! – Neha Madaan, Vanator

14. Building Trust By Asking Questions

Trust is of utmost importance. People buy from people they trust. Great salespeople build trust with their ability to ask the right questions, listen and provide solutions aligned with client needs and goals. Great salespeople also do not overpromise and underdeliver. – Damon Lembi, Learnit