The Three Key Characteristics of Top-Performing Salespeople
Today, I want to talk about a million-dollar question I keep getting.
“What are the key characteristics of the best salespeople you have met in your career?”
I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to manage multiple sales teams simultaneously, allowing me to work and interact with different people.
In addition, over the past five years, I have managed teams and worked - in total - with nearly 100 salespeople overall.
These experiences have spanned various types of companies, including startups of different sizes (ranging from over 400 employees to as few as 2).
Sales is often seen as a numbers game, but is it just about the numbers when it comes to people?
I have witnessed top performers struggling. On the other hand, I have seen underdogs straight out of college or university consistently achieving their goals.
Interestingly, individuals considered top performers in other companies have ended up at the bottom of the leaderboard on my teams.
Sometimes, a young, eager, and hungry SDR outperforms the top AE from a Fortune 500 company.
It seems that the top characteristics of successful salespeople may not be as predictable as we think. Aren’t they? Yes and no.
However, the most consistently high-performing salespeople I have seen share something in common.
Sales leaders and hiring managers often overlook this, and we miss these talents.
There are 3 characteristics that are the most common among the top salespeople I have met in my career so far.
Business Acumen
They are Curious
They Keep a High Level of Activities.
Let’s break it down.
#1 Business Acumen
Business Acumen is at the top of my list because I believe it’s the most important. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much of it as a sales rep and wasn’t the top performer. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to work with the best and somehow learned it.
Top sales reps deeply understand their customer’s pain points and challenges.
They don’t need to ask endless questions or go back and forth. Instead, they ask 2-3 high-impact questions that reveal the most significant pains.
Their focus is always on the pain. They only speak when necessary, never pitch, and never mention their solution. They actively listen and write down the main highlights of the call on a piece of paper. Later, they share those highlights with the prospect and ask for final confirmation.
Top sales reps tailor the presentation during demos to address specific pains. They ditch irrelevant features and only showcase the top features that alleviate the most distress.
When it comes to pricing, they approach it like any other business discussion. They remain calm and never panic or offer discounts. They always bring the conversation back to the prospects’ pains, impact, and challenges.
#2 They are Curious
Curiosity is close to my heart. I have always had this, and I’m proud of it. I loved interacting with prospects and customers and learning about their businesses. Genuinely.
However, if you bundle business acumen + curiosity, you have the perfect cocktail.
Your prospects will open up and start talking to you freely.
Often, though, being too curious may derail your discovery calls. Asking too many questions, some unrelated to the main challenges can be a problem.
There is a delicate balance, and you must keep your curiosity relevant to your prospect’s goal.
#3 They Keep a High Level of Activities
Last but not least.
Top salespeople consistently follow through on their commitments. They show up, sun or rain. They confidently make phone calls and send well-crafted, short messages that address the prospect’s pain points without resorting to spam.
They prioritise prospecting by blocking time on their calendar every day. They promptly complete tasks and are proficient in using various tools. They effectively utilise AI and adapt their email sequences based on results.
They diligently track their activity levels, recognising that a single off day is an anomaly. They bounce back stronger the following day.
Summary
Are these 3 characteristics hard to find? Yes and No.
They are everywhere, and plenty of salespeople have them all. We need to find them.
Hiring, in the traditional way, is broken. You can be disqualified just by looking at a piece of paper; more often, that is a missed opportunity.
I’m a big fan of video interviews instead of CVs, LinkedIn profiles and light screening that lead to more in-depth interviews to allow broader access to the hiring manager.
Even worse, some companies still screen CVs and look for big logos or prestigious universities. The reality is that the best salespeople I have seen came from the streets. Literally.
They never went to the big-name University because they couldn’t afford those high fees.
They were selling cars and coffees and founded startups that failed miserably. Some were even taking strolls on the beach of Valencia, selling tickets for parties.
Those are the best - la créme de la créme.
Thank you for reading this far; see you all next Saturday at the same time, same inbox. Ciao!
