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There are a handful of traits that will bring your reps the mostclosed sales and repeat customers. Wendy Weiss, a New YorkCity-based sales trainer and author of Cold Calling College,shares her top five traits to look for in a salesperson:
1. Stick-to-itiveness: The most important trait is theability to keep going. "Sales can be a tough world," saysWeiss. "The stark reality is that some prospects will sayno." What the salesperson does with that no is key. They canallow it to stop them, or they can put it aside and continue. Lookfor someone who does the latter.
2. Empathy and rapport: The ability to put oneself in aprospect's shoes is crucial to building a good salesrelationship.
3. Creativity: Being able to think quickly anddifferently sets a good salesperson apart from the competition andhelps him or her solve problems--creating a great edge.
4. Strategic thinking: Planning the approach, and knowingwhat to say and when to say it, will help good sales reps succeedwhere others fail.
5. Follow-through: Some people are great openers but haveno ability to sustain the sales relationship. Following through,staying in touch and keeping promises put a salesperson miles aheadof the competition.
Kimberly L. McCall ("MarketingAngel") is president of McCall Media & Marketing Inc.,and author ofSell It, Baby! Marketing Angel's 37Down-to-Earth & Practical How-To's on Marketing, Branding& Sales.
