Traits of a "Superstar" Salesperson

Two weeks ago, I began the recruiting process for SpaDelic, my beauty retailing/consulting business and am baffled by the number of job applicants that are not only void of passion and an inherent desire to be successful but also lack clearly defined goals for their future success. Not being able to comprehend this mentality, I began to review and study the multitude of training materials from sales seminars and lectures that I have acquired over the past 15 years so that I could more effectively identify highly driven, goal-oriented candidates for my team.
In today’s economy, it is crucial to a company’s success to provide excellent customer service and employ sales leaders/teams that have the traits to be “superstars”.  Many companies provide mediocre service and believe they are "good" service providers because they see what they are doing is no different than their competition.


With the power returning to the consumer, less than stellar customer service is no longer accepted and employers must focus on positive customer and employee satisfaction which will in turn, have an incontrovertible effect on consumer demand of your products and/or services, minimal employee turnover and ultimately, economic growth.  Employers that hire, lead and instill trust and confidence in their sales force and ultimately their customers will have little competition, create “RavingFans” and generate a faster, more consistent rate of success in the marketplace.

According to the ACSI (American CustomerSatisfaction Index) report released last week, health & personal care stores are down for the second consecutive year with an ACSI score of 76, a 1.3% decrease in customer service and the only retail category to lose customer satisfaction ground in 2011.  Online retail customer satisfaction is up 1.3% to a rating of 81 in 2011, beating traditional/brick-and-mortar stores ACSI rating of 76 by a full 5%.

Pareto principle: It’s common knowledge that 20% of your sales force produces 80% of your volume, basically, 1 out of every 5.  Let’s go a step further, Author Richard Gaylord Briley estimates that 5% of the people in the world produce the wealth and prosperity for the other 50% - the 5/50 rule.  This equates to merely 1 out of every 20 salespeople that fall into this elite category which raises the obvious question, how do we identify and hire these “superstars”?

6 Traits of a "Superstar" Salesperson

1. Integrity - integrity is "uprightness of character, probity (virtue tested and confirmed), honesty."

• Think about this objectively, as if you were the customer:

• Aren’t you drawn to a vendor that you KNOW will treat you honestly and fairly? (fast talkers/hard closers may experience “short term” success but the vendor that will be fair and honest is going to cultivate more successful relationships, trust and loyalty from their clients and ultimately long term success)

A person with integrity is going to be more loyal and trustworthy as an employee/easier to manage and contribute positively to the team/company

• An employee with integrity will exhibit an honest representation of your product and company, and limit the possibility of “used car salesman” tactics and shady dealings that ruin YOUR reputation as well as the reputation of your company.  Hiring a person with integrity also alleviates concern for unethical or illegal behaviors.

2. High Energy Level- Sales is a #’s game and the person that has a high energy level is likely to make more sales calls which in most cases equates to more sales than their colleagues. (a low energy person typically starts later than the person with high energy, takes longer to complete tasks, and ends the day early – a costly investment for your company in every aspect)

3. Ability and Predilection to Learn – A successful sales person is a chameleon, and is continuously inquiring, learning and changing his/her needs to meet those of their customers.

• Treating others the way you want to be treated is key, listen to your customer as they voice their needs and wants so that you can adjust your behavior to meet and surpass their expectations.
• A "superstar" salesperson is continuously learning and acquiring knowledge to refine and enhance their sales skills – it is a life long process
• A "superstar" salesperson is perceptive and is consistently reflecting upon their past sales experiences and adjusting their methods and actions to adapt to different needs and expectations of their prospective customers.

4. Ability to Build Positive Relationships – Sales is the ability to cultivate relationships that evoke trust and make customers believe that you are genuinely interested in them and their needs.

• Relationship builders quickly build trust with others and are perceived in a positive and favorable light by their customers and peers.
• If a customer genuinely likes and trusts their salesperson they will want THEM to succeed personally as well as the company and are more likely to purchase and promote their products and/or services
• Superstar salespeople listen, are perceptive, empathetic and have the ability to morph into the kind of person the customer needs.

5. Have a Self-Image of Success – People tend to live up (or down) to their own self-image.  Lots of people have the ability and potential to succeed but that potential is overshadowed by their own self-doubt and poor-self image.

6. Personal Motivation and the Drive to Excel – Some people are motivated by “exterior” means such as money, trips, bonuses, fringe benefits, profit sharing, etc., however a "Superstar" Salesperson is motivated by “interior” means, a personal drive and a deep-rooted desire to succeed and excel no matter what the circumstances.

• Interior motivation ignites the passion and fire that precipitates the ability to learn, an image of success and high achievement, a high energy level, personal integrity and the ability to create strong and successful business relationships.
• A person who is driven towards success and has strong internal motivation WILL succeed.