It may not sell, per se, but in my opinion, someone with a ‘personality’ does engage, entertain and educate, allowing you to have a positive experience with that person.
When you contrast that with someone that doesn’t have a personality (as such), then there is not much engagement, very little entertainment or you may not feel you have been educated in anything. If you are a case of the latter, then your ability to influence will be different, and may not position you as strongly.
I am not suggesting that you need to be larger than life or change from being who you already are, but letting people see who you are and what you know is important for your sales positioning. If that is already a part of your personality, then fantastic – if not, then perhaps that may be a blind spot you can work on.
The reason why this is important, is with so much noise around buyers today, with so much commoditisation creating tighter competition, YOU need to stand out, be like the unicorn or the purple cow and be known for something. Whether that be a representation of your company, a fantastic thought leader within your organisation or a phenomenal service provider to your client – it’s food for thought.
Studies have shown that when faced with time constraints or tough decisions, we will automatically default to the brand we know – our brain takes shortcuts.
Think about how often have you said ‘Oh just get me a (insert brand name here)’ when you have been in a hurry, simply because it immediately came to mind.
How often do we default to the channel we know has the nightly news because it just ‘comes to mind.’ By being bold, being known for something, unapologetically putting out content, ideas and distinctions that will serve your potential clients, can’t help but eventually position loyalty amongst those that want what you have to give them. You can’t want more than that.
So what are some of the personality traits of successful salespeople and how do you rate yourself?
Below, you will find the main key personality attributes of top salespeople and the impact of that trait on their selling style.
1. Attention to Detail. The ability to be meticulous and exact can be a sabotage strategy for some but for professional salespeople who are at the top of their game, being conscious of their output, taking their job seriously and being responsible for the level of quality they provide and having that attention to detail is critical.
2. Curiosity. Curiosity is such a fantastic quality. As we grow older we tend to lose the tendency to be curious and ask questions but being inquisitive means we are interested. Coming from a position of interest allows us to genuinely ask questions that might be considered uncomfortable. After all, why wouldn’t you want to know if there was an opportunity for a sale or not?We could definitely learn from our kids here.
3. Presence. We tend to think that top performing salespeople are enthusiastic and outgoing when the better salespeople tend to leave their emotions at the door once they step into the customers office. Not necessarily being emotion-less, but by controlling their gregariousness, they find it strengthens the sales conversation as they are able to focus on the customer instead of being ‘in their head’ and worrying about how they are being perceived. Because of this level of presence, they are taken more seriously, and by virtue of good questions and listening, the customer actually does the heavy lifting for them in the conversation.
How are you going to use your personality to ensure you are front of mind in your prospects eyes by engaging them, entertaining them and educating them and so providing an experience they will default to again and again.
Yes, I believe personality does sell!