Israel Business Management

As companies look for their new employees, they look for people with integrity, teamwork, intelligence and the ability to get things done (execute).

But, there are other qualities that companies need to have in their salespeople. I can think of three distinct qualities that are mandatory.

1. Drive: I had a colleague that enjoyed having the potential recruit for a sales position pick him up at the airport, when he arrived. If he saw the applicant in an expensive car, it was a plus in this hiring manager's mind. He believed that sales people are driven by money and if they had an expensive car lease or big mortgage, the sales person was not going to be distracted by internal corporate politics or sit on the side to come up with execuses. They needed money on a monthly basis to meet their lifestyle.
2. Understanding: A sales rep needs to understand the customer's needs. I separate this from intelligence, as there are many intelligent people that do not have the patience to sit down with a client and hear their needs. Only then, can the sales person apply a solution to that customer's problem. At times, I have seen intelligent people that have lacked the ability to understand the challenge crash and burn in a sales post.
3. Trustworthy: You hope that your relationship with each and every customer will be a long one. In order for this to happen, there has to be trust between the sales person (representing the company) and the client. If the sales rep is not honest in what the company can deliver, the customer will inevitably bolt for another vendor. A good sales person sees the current deal as only one part in the overall customer relationship.

If you can find a sales person with these qualities, you will certainly have no problem growing your revenue, even in a down economy.