Selling 9th Edition by Stephen Castleberry,John Tanner

Exercise 1

Now that you are at the end of the book, what traits do you have that would make you successful in sales? Are there specific industries or sales positions to which you are better suited? Why? Compare your list to that in Exhibit 17.2. How do you stack up? How would you prove that you have those traits?
Exhibit 17.2
Traits of Top Salespeople
1. Strong ego: able to handle rejection with healthy self-esteem.
2. Sense of urgency: getting it done now.
3. Ego driven: obsessive about being successful.
4. Assertive: being firm without being aggressive (see the discussion in Chapter 11).
5. Willing to take risks: willing to innovate.
6. Sociable: good at building relationships.
7. Abstract reasoner: able to handle complex selling situations and ideas.
8. Skeptical: a healthy bit of suspicion, not counting on commission until the sale is really a sale.
9. Creative: able to set oneself apart from the competition.
10. Empathic: able to place oneself in the buyer's shoes.
Source: Adapted from Erika Rasmusson, "The Ten Traits of Top Salespeople," Sales and Marketing Management, August 1999, pp. 34-37.