By Geoffrey James
Last week, I posted The 7 Deadly Sins of Selling, all of which will scuttle your sales success. Today, I’m visiting the other side of the coin, the cardinal virtues that you, as a sales professional, absolutely MUST possess in order to be really successful. Here they are:
Virtue #1: Patience. If you don’t have patience, you’ll get frustrated and ineffective when things take longer than you’d like. How to get it: Realize that success is usually achieved one step at a time. Be patient with yourself and resist the temptation to compare your progress to that of others.
Virtue #2: Commitment. It’s only through commitment to your customers that you’ll be able to focus and follow through on helping them. How to get it: Be willing to do whatever it takes (within legal and ethical bounds) to achieve success. Banish all thoughts of EVER giving up.
Virtue #3: Enthusiasm. Your enthusiasm for your firm, your product, your customers and your life make you a magnet for sales success. How to get it: Surround yourself with people who support and believe in you; avoid negative people and naysayers.
Virtue #4: Growth. If you are not growing as an individual and as a professional, you’re slowly dying and declining. How to get it: Spend time every day learning something new that will help you accomplish your goals. Read books, listen to tapes, take courses, network with peers.
Virtue #5: Courage. If you’re not willing to fail, you won’t take necessary risks. That takes courage to persevere even in the face of enormous odds. How to get it: Realize that success usually comes only after setbacks. Viewing “failure” as an unavoidable component of success.
Virtue #6: Honesty. Customers know when you’re not being honest with them, or even being honest with yourself. Then they balk. How to get it: Simple. Live every moment as if you are on camera and your family and friends is watching your every move.
Virtue #7: Flexibility. Life is change, and nothing ever stays the same. You can’t possibly be successful in sales if you can’t adapt to changing circumstances. How to get it: Focus on the process not the goals. Observe what’s working and what’s not. Then change your approach.
The above is loosely based upon a conversation I had a while back with Jeff Keller, author of the bestselling book Attitude is Everything, and one of the most positive and upbeat people I’ve ever met.
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