7 Qualities of
Top Sales People
Kelley School of Business
Bob Goldstein
Discussion Session
# 68
February, 2005
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How many of you are planning a
career in sales (show of hands)?
Anything less then a 100% show
of hands is not acceptable…
NOW WHY DO I SAY THAT?
2
We usually think of SELLING
PRODUCTS
SERVICES
OR
BOTH
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But what about..
Selling
Yourself ?
4
Remember this truism…..
I don’t care what career path you are on.
The reality is that you must sell yourself
before you sell your skills.
I am talking about your “persona”---about
how others see you as a human being.
I choose to call it “personal
salesmanship”.
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Who would you hire?
Joe has a 4.0 g.p.a. Also, he is a “slug”.
He is slovenly—conceited—surly-doesn’t bathe too frequently—has no
friends---yet his grades are tops.
Bill has a 3.0 g.p.a. He is personable—
well liked—outgoing—a good listener—
enjoys working with others—and he
bathes frequently.
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ARE YOU……
BEGINNING
TO GET THE
MESSAGE?
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The video you are going to
see……
is focused on those who are planning a career
in sales and what it takes to become a top
salesperson.
But following my own thesis----that we sell
ourselves before we sell our skills, I believe
there is something you can learn from this
video even though you’re not going into sales
as we traditionally think of “sales”.
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Who is Brian Tracy?
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www.briantracey.com
A review of Brian Tracey’s web-site could very
easily lead you to the conclusion that he
walks on water.
My own criteria is simple: Would I pay to hear
him speak? Right now, the only person on
my “pay to hear list” is George Carlin.
There is some good information in this video--but you will have to decide if you would pay
to hear him speak.
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O.K.-
Let’s
Review Brian’s
Message
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Why are some salespeople so
successful?



20% of the salespeople make 80% of the sales
and 80% of the commissions
10% of salespeople open 80% of new accounts
(“hunters”)
The top 10% of sales professionals today earn
5X, 10X, 15X and even 20X the average of the
other 80%-90%.
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Why are some salespeople so
successful?
1.
1.
They sell the product people want.
They convince people they want
the product they have to sell.
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Who do you think are the
top earners in the big name
consulting firms?
Those with the 3.9
gpa’s?
OR
Those who bring in the
most new clients?
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Why are some salespeople so
successful?

80% of Sales success is
psychological.

Top salespeople are OPTIMISTS.

They have a positive mental
attitude.
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Optimism

Optimism is a result,
or effect, of the
seven key qualities
of top sales people
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Seven Qualities of Top
Salespeople
1.
They are
ambitious.
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Ambition

A strong desire to
gain a particular
objective;
specifically, the drive
to succeed or to
gain fame, power
wealth, etc.
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Seven Qualities of Top
Salespeople

They are ambitious.

They are courageous.
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Courage
Everyone is afraid.
The best salespeople
do it anyway! Ask
for the sale…
The top people
confront their
fears.
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Seven Qualities of Top
Salespeople
1.
2.
3.
They are
ambitious.
They are
courageous.
They are
committed.
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Commitment….


Caring is the key element in successful
selling.
Selling has often been defined as a
“transfer of enthusiasm”.
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Law of
Correspondence
The more you believe
in what you sell, the
easier it is for you to
convince someone
else.
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Seven Qualities of Top
Salespeople
1.
2.
3.
4.
They are ambitious.
They are courageous.
They are committed.
They see themselves more as
consultants than as salespeople.
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Consultant stance…



People accept you at the way you
present yourself.
Act like a consultant in everything you
do and say.
What does a consultant do?
25
Forbidden Phrases
“I DON’T KNOW.”
“NO.”
“WHY DO YOU
NEED TO KNOW?”
“THAT’S AGAINST
COMPANY POLICY.”
“YOU’RE WRONG.”
“YOU’LL HAVE TO.”
“THAT’S NOT MY JOB.”
“WE’VE NEVER DONE
IT THAT WAY.”
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What
makes
people
remember?
Positive Associations
Love, , Table, Fork, Pen, Stream, Wisdom, Stream, Flower, Zulu, Ruler, Blue, Sheep, Meani
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Why Do Customers Stop
Being Customers?
100%

1% Die

3% Move Away

5% Seek alternatives

9% Go to the competition

14% Dissatisfied with product/service

Beyond Customer Service, 1992.
68% Upset with the treatment they
receive
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Seven Qualities of Top
Salespeople
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
They are ambitious.
They are courageous.
They are committed.
They see themselves more as
consultants than as salespeople.
They are prepared.
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Three Keys to Preparation in
Selling
1.
Pre-call research – do your homeworkmentally prepare.
2.
Pre-call objectives – what are your goals?
Starting out? Break it down.
3.
Post-call analysis – write down every detail.
When to re-contact.
Think what other approach could be used to
advance your prospect of success.
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Seven Qualities of Top
Salespeople
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
They are ambitious.
They are courageous.
They are committed.
They see themselves more as
consultants than as salespeople.
They are prepared.
They engage in continuous learning.
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Keys to Continuous Learning



Read one hour in
selling each day.
Listen to audio tapes
in your car.
Take all the training
you can get.
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Seven Qualities of
Top Salespeople-summary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Be ambitious.
Be courageous.
Be committed
Be professional.
Be prepared.
Engage in continuous learning.
Be responsible.
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Hooray! I Made the Sale!
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Just Remember…
YOU ARE SELLING
YOURSELF!!!
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Evaluation Questions
Use:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Don’t know
I found the presentation of material easy to understand.
This Advantage session increased my knowledge on the
subject presented.
I will be able to use some of the information from this
Advantage session in the future.
The presenter was well prepared for this session.
This presentation should be repeated in future semesters.
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