Characteristics of a successful salesperson

Great salespeople are trying to build a business. They look at sales not as something they do to people, but as a collaborative process between themselves and the client. Good sales skills can mean more money in your pocket and a better customer experience.

Success Trait #9: Goal-Oriented

Top sales pros take it to another level. They don’t just have a vague goal or direction. They know exactly what they want to accomplish (and by when), and they will plan everything around these targets. The best salespeople also set ambitious goals — ambitious but achievable.

Need for approval

Need for approval becomes a weakness when a salesperson cares more about being liked than they care about closing business. Taking criticism or bad attitudes personally is never a good thing, but it’s especially dangerous in sales, where reps regularly deal with rejection.

You might answer the interview question by saying, “my greatest strength is my ability to build a rapport with clients and earn their trust.” Or, “one of my biggest strengths is the energy I put into each and every client so they know I will do my best to ensure their customer satisfaction.”

“I think one of my greatest strengths is as a problem solver. I have the ability to see a situation from different perspectives and I can get my work done even in the face of difficult obstacles. I also feel that my communication skills are top-notch.

Examples of Best Answers

My greatest strength is my organizational ability. I like to plan out the sales cycle to the letter and follow it through. My greatest weakness is related to my greatest strength because when my plan needs to change, I can be a little bit inflexible.

Common strengths include leadership, communication, or writing skills. Common weaknesses include a fear of public speaking, lack of experience with software or a program, or difficulty with taking criticism.

Example: “My greatest weakness is that I sometimes have a hard time letting go of a project. I’m the biggest critic of my work, and I can always find something that needs to be improved or changed. To help myself improve in this area, I give myself deadlines for revisions.

For example, you might start your answer like this: “I graduated with my degree in Economics two months ago. I chose that field of study because I’ve always been interested in finance and money, and a couple of family members told me it leads to great career options, too.”

“Honestly, I possess all the skills and experience that you‘re looking for. I’m pretty confident that I am the best candidate for this job role. It’s not just my background in the past projects, but also my people skills, which will be applicable in this position.