.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} I delivered two public seminars in the past two weeks, with a combined audience of more than 1,800 people. Salespeople.

They came in the hope of learning to better their skills, secure more customers, keep their existing customers loyal, figure out new strategies, or some other form of making the sale, overcoming economic conditions or just plain getting out of a rut.

Both audiences were all ages, with all types of experience, at all levels of competence with one basic common goal: Learn more to earn more. That’s one of the characteristics of a great salesperson: continuous learning. Why do people get into sales? What characteristics do they have that sets them apart? I thought that it might be an interesting exercise for anyone contemplating sales to answer the question, and for anyone in sales to reaffirm or answer the question “Why is sales for me?”

Sales is economic freedom and challenge. If you’re on commission or some form of bonus, you’re ostensibly free to create your own economic environment based on your performance.

But sales is a much bigger opportunity than money. Great salespeople have character, and characteristics, possessed by few others.

Here are the highlights:

Presentation skills. How to speak in a compelling manner. How to persuade others to your point of view. How to overcome barriers. In short, how to get your way.

People skills. Salespeople must learn to interact with customers, co-workers, executives and anybody else in their field in a manner that builds relationships.

Networking skills. Salespeople have social and tactical skills to help them turn business time and social time into strategic alliances, connections and leads.

Questioning skills. Salespeople know that asking is more powerful than telling.

Listening skills. Salespeople have antennas that are always alert to information, buying signals, buying motives or other elements of how to make the sale that come only from the person buying.

Personal development skills. Salespeople have a positive attitude. They achieve their goals and seek to master the other intangible aspects of the mental and physical elements needed to win at the game of sales.

Creativity skills. Salespeople have to prepare with creativity, demonstrate with creativity, respond with creativity, sell with creativity and use creativity to build relationships.

Moxie. Salespeople have self-confidence, self-belief, determination and persistence. Moxie is the unspoken swagger needed to complete the sale.

Likability. People buy from people they like, believe, have confidence in, and trust. Like starts the ball rolling toward trust.

And, oh yeah, they have sales skills.

But there’s risk involved in selling. You have to perform. Often you’re presented with quotas, sales plans or other forms of forced achievement.

You also have a boss. Someone you may or may not totally love or respect.

The challenges are multifaceted, which I believe is part of the attraction. It takes intelligence, personal dedication, continuous education and the ability to self-start.

I’ve often quoted the great Red Motley, who in 1946 said, “Nothing happens until a sale is made.” This is yet another reason people decide on a career in selling. It’s the spark. Or the pressure to light the fire. It’s the challenge, and it’s the euphoric feeling you get when you know the sale is yours.

One more bonus for great salespeople: Unemployment does not exist. There are always openings for people who know how to sell.

Want more about sales attributes? Go to www.gitomer.com, register if you’re a first-time visitor, and enter SALES ATTRIBUTES in the GitBit box.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2007 Jeffrey H. Gitomer