Qualities of a Good Salesperson

In the market, you find a number of shops selling the same product but you prefer to go to a particular shop only. Why? This happens primarily because of the way the staff of the shop attend to you. The salesperson at the counter welcomes you with a smile, shows keen interest in your purchase and explains about the different varieties of the product in such a way that it become easier for you to take a decision.

So, besides the availability of the product, its price etc., it is the good salesmanship that makes a difference and builds your preference for a shop. Salesmanship is a tough and challenging job which requires a mixture of physical and mental qualities. Some of the common qualities which a salesperson must possess are as follows.

  1. Good Personality: Personality is a mixture of many traits like physical appearance, dressing-up, way of talking, manners, pitch of voice, habits etc. Personality of a salesperson should be such that the moment he/she comes in contact with the customer, he or she looks amiable with whom the customer is at least ready to start a conversation.

  2. Mental Qualities: A salesperson must have the quality of alertness, imagination, foresightedness, empathy etc. He should have the ability to read the customer’s mind and behave accordingly. There may be certain doubts or apprehensions in the mind of the customer regarding the product. Only a salesperson with these mental qualities will be able to solve the customer’s problems. A good salesperson should be able to match the product with the customer’s need and ability to pay.

  3. Good Behaviour: A salesperson should be a well behaved person having ability to interact with people comfortably. He or she should be cooperative so that he or she can help people in making up their minds by patiently answering all their questions. Patience and humility will help him or her in not only holding the attention of the customer but also in getting them interested in purchasing the product.

  4. Knowledge: While buying a television set normally we ask the salesperson a number of questions about the features of the latest model. If the salesperson fails to answer our queries or if we are not satisfied with the reply, we may leave that shop and visit another shop where all of our queries are answered by the salespersons. This is possible only when the salesperson has detailed knowledge about the product. He or she should know every detail relating to the product and the company he or she is representing. He or she should be able to explain the various features of the product, the way it is to be used and the precautions to be taken and so on. Knowledge about competitors’ product is also a must so that the salesperson can explain the superiority of his or her product.

  5. Ability to communicate and persuade: If a salesperson can communicate properly and effectively then he or she will be able to clear the biggest hurdle of making the prospective customer listen to him or her. The salesperson must speak confidently, clearly and audibly. Good communication ability coupled with good knowledge about the product helps the salesperson in persuading the customer to buy.

  6. Persistence: The salesperson must know the art of persistence. It requires a sense of determination to convince the customers to buy. He or she must not give up easily. Without being offensive, he or she must persuade the customer to finalise the purchase with a sense of satisfaction.