An exploratory study on skills and characteristics of a successful salesperson
Abstract
“In any business organization, sales are the department that generates revenue. No matter how good your manufacturing operation is, how cutting-edge your technology is, how tight your financial goals are or how progressive and forward-thinking your management techniques are, you must still have a sales mechanism in place, or everything else is useless” (McClintock). The best sales forces are professional, and empowered to act, serving key client interests. They have strong personal relationships with key customers, or they learn how to build them.
Recent trends in sales research has been a growing focus on personal selling effectiveness. This study investigates to find out important skills and characteristics of successful salesperson. All factors found are grouped and categorized in conceptual model, which tested by practical knowledge of successful salesperson in real companies. The purpose of this model is to answer for the question “what make a successful salesperson” and how those skills and characteristics impact on salesmen. Besides, it also serves for sales training programs that are majorly necessary for any entrepreneur to develop their sales forces.
The research is conducted through qualitative method. This gives researcher many chances to discover new factors or information have not mentioned or found before. Additionally, this method is more suitable than quantitative because no factors can be measured by number. By qualitative method, all respondents are interviewed deeply with clear interview guide. Information collected is analyzed in term of independence and cross – cases to compare, contrast, and identify which factors are highly evaluated by respondents.
In general, the main finding is eight important skills and five characteristics required for succeed of salesperson. The secret weapon salesmen need to equip by
themselves and for themselves is skills involve prospecting, building rapport and
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cultivating customer relationships, verbal communication, negotiation, listening, sales
presentation, closing and following up. Additionally, motivation, customer orientation, ethical behavior, determination and strong desire to succeed are characteristics they have
to have.