Proven Characteristics of Wildly Successful Salespeople

Last Updated on February 28, 2025 by Dave Schoenbeck

Most small business owners have little experience in hiring salespeople. So, instead, they use their instincts and learn by trial and error, often looking for characteristics of successful salespeople they’ve hired. However, hiring the wrong salesperson can have severe repercussions for your business, causing you to waste time and resources without closing any sales.

You can quickly identify what great salespeople can help you hire the right person for the job at the beginning. Here’s what you need to know about what makes a successful salesperson:

Characteristics of a Great Salesperson

What makes a successful salesperson? Stephan Schiffman is a highly respected author on this topic. In his book The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople, he lays out the characteristics of successful salespeople that every business owner should look for. Here are a few of the most important traits he recommends: 

• Analytics: A good salesperson can analyze their sales process to anticipate breakdowns. They can then change their approach without getting stuck in an unproductive routine. 
• Leadership: A salesperson must display good leadership qualities to build trust with a prospect. While no one likes a sleazy salesperson, they will respect someone who projects an air of well-earned authority. 
• Listening: You can’t anticipate a prospect’s needs if you’re too busy practicing your sales pitch to hear when they’re talking. A good salesperson is an active listener and knows how to ask the right questions to obtain the necessary information.
• Forward-thinking: Closing a sale often requires more than one touchpoint. A salesperson must consider and act on the next touchpoint at the right time to succeed. 

In their book Biz Dev Done Right, Caryn Kopp and Carl Gould lay out even more characteristics of successful salespeople so business owners know what to look for. A few of my favorites are: 

• Organization: A salesperson must be able to successfully keep track of leads and follow up at regular, appropriate intervals
• Adaptability: Salespeople regularly need to think on their feet. They must remain up-to-date with the latest brand messaging and adapt their pitches depending on the prospect. 
• Motivation: The most successful salespeople are self-starters. They genuinely believe in what they’re selling and are just as excited to get new leads as you are. You can teach many skills, but you can’t teach motivation. The person you hire needs to have passion. 
• Likeability: The perfect sales pitch will fall flat if your salesperson rubs people incorrectly. This trait can be hard to quantify, but if you feel uncomfortable or ill at ease talking to this person in the job interview, you can imagine your prospective clients will feel the same way in a sales meeting. 

Learning to identify the characteristics of successful salespeople requires some forethought. However, I can help you specify what to look for in a candidate and set reasonable and essential goals. Fill out my contact form, and we can chat about how you can pinpoint the characteristics of successful salespeople in your new hires. 

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Dave Schoenbeck

CEO at Dave Schoenbeck - Business & Executive Coach

Dave Schoenbeck is a professional business and executive coach who translates complex business methods, processes, and strategies into actionable plans to dramatically improve financial results. Read more about Dave here.

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