There was an article in Harvard Business Review a few years ago that identified seven personality traits of top salespeople.
#6 in the report was Lack of Discouragement and #7 was Lack of Self-Consciousness. Put these two things in a blender and you have one of the most important aspects to being a top salesperson: persistence.
Persistence at the macro level is pushing past through tough economic times, marketing challenges, product delays, and all those things that are out of your control.
Persistence in the micro is the day to day with customers and prospects, staying with the process so that when they are finally ready, you will be there.
Larry Winged said this in our Go for No! movie: “There are more bad sales people selling bad products at a higher price, than there are good sales people selling good products at a reasonable price. The bad sales people can make more money – which might make them good sales people – simply because they ask more people. They just stay with it all of the time. They don’t understand what rejection is. They look at rejection as a challenge.”
What if you aren’t persistent now? Can you become someone who is persistent? Persistence – at least in sales – is a behavior, not a fixed personality trait.
Of course you can.
Have you read Go for No! yet? Pick it up at our store here or on Amazon if you prefer.
Comments? Please let me know your thoughts. And if you liked this post, please share! – AW
I love this book, the lessons are priceless.
What an interesting post. Persistence is key and sometimes they say “ignorance is bliss”. Reminds me of beginner’s luck or the “underdog” in a sports game. When you aren’t afraid to fail, you aren’t afraid to succeed. Great post. Thanks.