Traits of Highly Effective Sales Professionals

By Jeb Blount and Mary "B" Battaglia GRI, CRS

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to live a charmed life and others seem to have a dark cloud over their head all the time? I think we all know people like that. It has amazed me how those who think their life is tough, usually do have a continual series of bad circumstances or bad luck....but is it "bad luck" or are they creating the life they have? Of course, it works both ways; if you anticipate good things, they seem to happen.

This goes back to principles that I have heard throughout my life:

What you can conceive and believe, you can achieve.

Whether you think you can, or think you can't... either way, you are right.

What goes around comes around!

If you work hard, it will pay off.

Ask and you shall receive.

You will attract to you the things you identify yourself with.
I'm sure you can think of others, but here's my point. All the productive salespeople I have known have used beliefs like the ones above to form the foundation on which they build success.

Hard Choices

In the current real estate market agents are faced with a choice. Believe that they control their own destiny or believe that they have no control. For most it is easier to do the later. Everyday, faced with more bad news, many agents take the easy way out and just pack up and go home believing that they are the victims of bad luck and bad timing.

Top agents understand and believe that they control the future with the activity they do today. In their mind they can see success and they believe in themselves. And by the way, even in a down market they are still getting listings and still closing deals.

The choice to take control of your own destiny requires, faith, fortitude, and discipline. It will mean stepping beyond your comfort zone. However, the rewards are great and soon, your small leaps of faith turn into huge strides towards success.

Four PowerPrincples of High Performing Sales Professionals

Visualize Your Success: Top Sales Professional can visualize their success; they see it taste it, and touch it as if it were already there. They expect great things to happen and they believe that they will succeed, even in the face of set backs.

No Excuses: Top Sales Professionals consistently do the activities necessary to win. They are willing to do what less successful salespeople refuse to do.

See The Big Picture: High performing Sales Professionals know that they won't close every deal. They don't get side-tracked by small set-backs. Instead they stay focused on the big picture and have resolute belief that consistent activity over time leads to success.

Fanatical Prospecting: Highly successful Sales Professionals prospect relentlessly, and regularly. They never stop! They understand that prospecting excellence makes 90% of their problems disappear. With a fanatical focus on prospecting they've learned that competitors don't matter, timing doesn't matter and market down turns don't matter because they are complete control of their own future.

Jeb Blount is the award winning author of PowerPrinciples: Do you have the winning edge? and CEO of SalesGravy.com, The #1 Resource on the Web for Sales Professionals.