What Makes a Successful Seller?

The Harvard Business School recently conducted a study to determine the common characteristics among top salespeople. Their evidence is clear-most people can become top sellers if they're willing to study, concentrate and focus on their performance. Here are the attributes the study found in highly successful salespeople:

• Did not take "no" personally or allow it to make them feel like a failure. They have enough self-esteem and confidence so that, although they may be disappointed, they're not devastated.

• 100% acceptance of responsibility for results. They don't blame the economy, their competition or their own company for dips in sales. Instead, the worse things are, the harder they work to make the negatives work to their advantage.

• Above average ambition and a desire to succeed. This is a key area because it affected priorities and how they spent their time on and off the job, with whom they associated, etc.

• High levels of empathy. The ability to put themselves in the customer's shoes, imagine their needs and concerns, and respond appropriately was a habit.

• Intensely goal-oriented. Always knowing what they were going after and how much progress they were making kept distractions from sidetracking them.

• Above-average will power and determination. No matter how tempted they were to give up, they persisted towards goals. Self-discipline was a key.

• Ability to approach strangers and talk, even when it's uncomfortable.

As you can see, all of these characteristics and attributes can be a part of your personal development plan. No one is born knowing how to sell effectively, but you can pattern your own development based on how the top in the field do it.