An optimal sales process requires a sales manager with persuasive-, assertiveness and of course communication skills. That was not all. There is much more behind every successful sales manager.
We will show you eight characteristics of a sales manager, which are absolutely needed in order to successfully achieve his or her sales goals.
8 qualities:
1. Honesty
A basis of trust between a customer and a sales manager is a decisive factor for success in sales. Honesty plays a very important role here. Unnecessary promises to the customer are definitely out of place here. The credibility of the salesperson is strongly related to his or her reputation. So always give your customer the feeling of being honest and fair.
2. Authenticity
Apart from honesty, a good sales manager should also offer authenticity. The way you convince about your product or service determines whether the customer will ultimately buy. What do you need for this? With a number of good arguments, i.e. sufficient know-how, you are on the safe side.
3. Communication skills
This characteristic is actually self-explanatory. But it is not only about perfect wording. Expressions, facial expressions and body language, communication skills are always required in sales.
4. Empathy
A good salesperson can always empathize with the customer's situation and recognize their needs and wishes. So always look at the situation from your customer's perspective. The following questions can help:
What does my customer feel?
What are my customer's priorities?
What fears and problems does my customer have?
Empathy also requires a certain amount of emotional intelligence.
Tip: Always end certain sentences, social media posts or other articles with a small survey. To do this, simply ask your customer one or two questions that they can answer. This feedback will always help you keep track of your customer' needs.
5. Mental resilience / Stress resistance
Everyone has a bad day or wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. However, every day would definitely be too much. Enormous pressure to perform, stress and conflicts are part of a salesperson's everyday life. Resilience is a prerequisite here. Those who are easily and quickly led by their own emotions will certainly not have it easy.
So are you afraid of headaches? Then this position is probably not quite right for you. Your mental resilience should face challenging situations with a calm and above all serene attitude.
6. Personal responsibility
The following three questions can help you better analyze failures:
What mistakes did I make?
How can I prepare better for the situation next time?
What did the customer miss in my offer or what did the customer not like?
Being able to handle certain situations on your own makes it easier for you to cope better with challenges in stressful situations.
7. Self-confidence
A healthy level of self-awareness is a must in order to convince customers of a product or service. Why is that? If you assess yourself positively enough, you automatically generate a "self-fulfilling prediction". So if you believe you can sell something well, you are very likely to do so. However, as mentioned above, the extent is very important. After all, too much self-confidence can quickly lead to a certain arrogance and haughtiness that scares off customers.
8. Cachability
The ability to quickly acquire new knowledge is a strong character trait. A good salesperson should be open-minded and not be afraid when a delicate situation arises. In other words, the ability to coach yourself and to constantly expand your expertise through further training and education.
Conclusion
Sales professionals know exactly how important expertise, creativity, empathy and the like are. They are highly organized and build strong bonds with customers to ensure a positive customer experience and close transactions efficiently.
At Prosupo, we believe that sales managers with the above ten personality traits can build strong relationships with your employees and deliver the optimal sales process.
Do you need such a character? Contact us and we will take care of the rest.