All business people need a degree of sales ability in order to develop and maintain a business. With differences in style and personality not discovered to be central to success, experts have found the following 5 traits or competencies are most likely to predict top performance:

• Optimism
o Ever notice that the best sales people tend to look on the bright side? Mitch Anthony, author of Selling with Emotional Intelligence says; “Most top sales professionals, who are at the top of every achievement chart, tend to be optimistic.” Optimism will also tend to determine how resilient a sales person will be.

• Resilience
o The spinal column of emotional intelligence in sales. It’s the ability to take fifteen no’s before you get a yes.

• Self-Motivation
o Most experts and managers believe this is a trait that cannot be taught. Whether it’s being driven by money or recognition or simply pride, the best sales people tend to have an inherent competitive drive.

• Person-ability
o Being friendly and sociable is a hallmark of reps that network well and maintain long term customer relationships. Quite simply, the customers need to like you and feel comfortable with you, and the relationship grows.

• Empathy
o This trait may underlie all other emotional intelligence skills, because it involves truly understanding the customer. It involves being intuitive and perceptive. It also requires superb listening and communication skills.