The Salesperson’s Survival Kit: 236 Sales Attributes, Traits, Competencies, and Behaviors to Crush Quotas

I was thinking of all the different selling traits I’ve written about in the past 20 years and I’ve probably forgotten many more than most people ever knew.  With some help from Grok4 to speed things up, I reviewed the 2,000 plus articles I have written and extracted some of the traits, characteristics, competencies, behaviors, skills, elements, components and capabilities (lists) that I’ve identified over the years and included them all here for your review.  There may be some traits that appear on more than one list but I counted 236!

The 21 Sales Core Competencies: Your Sales Superpowers

These are the big dogs from the OMG framework I developed. If you’re strong in all of them you’re probably in the top 5% of all salespeople in the world. But if you’re weak in too many of them, then you’re why pipelines leak and you should call a plumber and get to the gym.

Will to Sell: The Inner Fire (Without It, You’re Toast)

1. Desire for Greater Success in Sales – That relentless itch to hit numbers, not just clock in.
2. Commitment to Do What It Takes – No shortcuts; grind like your bonus depends on it (because it does).
3. Outlook on Selling and Life – Stay positive, or negativity will eat your deals alive.
4. Motivation (Intrinsic Drive) – Self-fueled hustle—no need for pep talks.
5. Responsibility for Actions and Results – Own your L’s; excuses are for amateurs.

Sales DNA: The Invisible Forces (Sabotage 80% of Salespeople)

1. No Need for Approval – Don’t crave likes; prospects aren’t your social feed.
2. Controls Emotions – Stay cool; 86% of elites do, the rest melt down. Get caught off-guard and lose focus
3. Supportive Beliefs – Ditch self-sabotage like “cold calls suck.” That inner voice saying “I can’t call CEOs.”
4. Supportive Buy Cycle – Buy the way you want your prospects to buy from you. Understand prospects and even you won’t advocate for you.
5. Comfort Discussing Money – Budget conversations? The top 5% are 613% more effective at this.
6. Handles Rejection – Rejection-proof; 92% of the top salespeople easily bounce back.

Tactical Selling: The Skills Toolbox (Modern Edition)

1. Hunting (Prospecting) – Fill pipelines or starve—elites double down.
2. Consultative Selling – Probe like a detective; only 3% of bottoms can do this.
3. Qualifying – 91% of elites are strong vs. only 6% of the weak salespeople.
4. Value Selling – Sell dreams, not discounts—95% elites strong.
5. Presentation Skills – Engage, don’t bore; skip the slide coma.
6. Closing – An outcome more than an important competency. See post-2024 shift below.
7. Sales Process – Milestone map and only 34% have one.  That’s more than triple what it was twenty years ago.
8. Relationship Building – Turn leads into fans.
9. Sales Technology – CRM and sales intelligence are the big dogs here.
10. Reaches Decision Makers – 341% more likely to win the business when you meet the decision maker(s) or stakeholder(s).

The Newest Core Competency: Human (10 Attributes to Replace the Closing Competency)

1. Honesty – No BS claims.
2. Integrity – Walk the talk.
3. Sincerity – Genuine vibes.
4. Empathy – Feel their pain (but not too much!).
5. Responsive – Quick replies.
6. Trustworthy – Build it brick by brick.
7. Problem Solver – Fix real issues.
8. Reliable – Deliver promises.
9. Expert – Know your stuff cold.
10. Authentic – Be you, not a robot.

Steve Jobs: 10 Competencies for Making Deals

1. Preparation – Obsess like a wedding planner on caffeine.
2. Determination – Failure? Not an option.
3. Slide Decks – Ditch these and have conversations.
4. Charm – Turn it on to build relationships and win deals.
5. Negotiation – Walk from unqualified opportunities.
6. Building Value – Show the magic – the difference between the cost of their solution versus the impact and cost of the problem.
7. Understanding – Uncover their compelling reason to buy.
8. Creating Trust – Nothing happens without trust.
9. Fearless – Call CEOs and don’t give up.
10. Showmanship – Have a flair for your presentations.

10 Elements of Grit

1. Commitment – Glue to goals.
2. Discipline – Do the grunt work every day.
3. Perseverance – Keep swinging.
4. Rejection-Proof – Laugh at no’s.
5. Consistency – Steady crushes quotas.
6. Fearless – Dive in and don’t give it a second thought.
7. Relentless – Try again.
8. Motivated – Your Inner fire and what will get you to walk through walls.
9. Optimistic Outcomes – Imagine how the win will look, sound and feel.
10. Realistic Odds – Plan for obstacles.

10 Requirements for Calmly Waiting for Openings

1. Not Needing to be Liked – Don’t Facilitate, challenge!
2. No Fear of Rejection – Engage and be bold.
3. Thought-Provoking Questions – Stir the pot.
4. Follow Through – Be proactive.
5. Goal-Focused – Keep your eyes on the prize.
6. Prepared to Engage – Ready, set, go.
7. Demonstrate Capabilities – At the right time, with the right people, for the right reasons.
8. Responsive/Timely – Don’t procrastinate.
9. Business/Finance Savvy – Learn this.
10. Tonality Mastery – Soft, and slow is more powerful.

5 Keys to Account Management

1. Dress the Part – Sharp look.
2. Know Your Audience – Names, needs.
3. Pulse Check – Satisfaction assessment.
4. Growth Seek – Upsell, sell vertically and horizontally.
5. Build Partnerships – Connect and co-create opportunities.

10 Keys to Strong Partnerships

1. Trust – Must be Rock-solid, a no-doubter.
2. Respect – Must be mutual.
3. Expertise – You are a subject matter expert.
4. Advice – Help them.
5. Creativity – Innovate.
6. Credibility – Be believable.
7. History – Respect the long-term relationship and good things your companies have done together.
8. Authenticity – Be yourself.
9. Caring – Show genuine interest in helping them.
10. Communication – Must be a two-way street.

10 Prospect Rules to Break (Push Back or Lose)

1. Share Decision Maker – Who else cares?
2. Speak with Decision Maker – Salespeople who get access to decision makers are 341% more likely to close the business.
3. Meet Decision Maker – Decision makers choose to buy from people they know and have met.
4. Share Budgets – What’s the real number, and will they pay more to buy from you?
5. Divulge Competition – Who else are they talking with and why?
6. Feedback on Comparison – How do we compare?
7. Answers to Your Questions – Even unknowns.
8. Explain Problems – What could go wrong?
9. Meet to Review Quote – In person or over Zoom instead of email and waiting for a return.
10. Share Winning Criteria – What is the criteria for choosing us?

 5 Classic Characteristics from the Caliper Study

1. Empathy – Sense reactions, read cues.
2. Ego-Drive – Need that win.
3. Service Motivation – Hear “thanks.”
4. Conscientiousness – Responsible, organized goals.
5. Ego Strength – Handle rejection, learn fast.

8 Miscellaneous Traits to Help You Grind

1. Tailor Your Approach – Customize or die.
2. Effective Questioning – When you think you have dug deep enough dig deeper.
3. Handle Stress – Remain Calm.
4. Time Management – Master your calendar, task list, and trips through your territory.
5. Personal Attributes – Be optimistic about your outcome and skeptical about what you hear along the way.
6. Disrupting Flow – Push back, challenge and ask great questions.
7. Execute Process – Follow the sales process without fail.
8. Fighter/Persistent/Entertaining – Be like Donald Trump (Regardless of what you think of him, this is his superpower)

4 Response Options for Frustration

1. Scream/Cuss – Not appropriate.
2. Find Opening/Pass – Your ability to be wait for an opportunity to differentiate is the name of the game.
3. Ram Car – Unrealistic blowup is not appropriate.
4. Follow Patiently – This is what facilitators do resulting in a longer sales cycles and losses.

12 Factors to Shorten Your Sales Cycle

1. Execute a formal, structured, staged, milestone-centric sales process
2. Get the prospect to “must have” and beyond “nice to have”
3. Reach the decision maker early enough in the sales process
4. Create urgency when uncover compelling reasons to buy
5. Differentiate by having the difficult conversation
6. Can’t be Needing prospects to like you.
7. Build a case and sell value instead of price
8. Uncover the actual budget
9. Thoroughly qualify the prospect’s ability to buy from you
10. Bring up potential objections earlier in the sales process
11. Learn about the competition and how you compare
12. Push back or challenge conventional or out-dated thinking

10 Elements for Salespeople’s New Year’s Resolutions

1. Stretch Goal – Aim for something exciting and compelling, not random numbers—make it personal and achievable.
2. Believe in It – Obsess like a kid wanting that dream toy; hope, wish, and never stop believing.
3. Commit Fully – Whatever it takes—no half-measures on your mission.
4. Stuffed Pipeline – Keep it full always; work backwards from conversions (e.g., 26 opportunities for one close using your ratios).
5. Discipline Daily – Do the tough stuff even when you don’t want to; ditch distractions during work hours.
6. Consistent Routines – Stick to a daily business development habit—phone, emails, social, whatever—every single day.
7. No Exceptions – Zero slip-ups; one cheat derails the whole plan, so hold the line.
8. Self-Improvement – Get 10% better at every selling aspect—boosts revenue by 33%.
9. Efficiency Tools – Use the best: Membrain for pipeline, ConnectAndSell for calls, YouCanBookMe for scheduling, etc.
10. Trust the Process – Follow your milestone-centric sales process and scorecard—it’s your reliable guide.

8 Requirements to Become the Best Salesperson

1. Active Listening – Go beyond hearing; catch key words/phrases to question deeper into compelling buy reasons.
2. Follow-Up Questioning – Ditch prepared lists; phrase probes to go wider/deeper based on what you heard.
3. Effective Tonality – Slow, soft, pause, smile, and drop inflection—ask without offending or sounding interrogative.
4. Business/Finance Savvy – Calculate problem impacts (hard/soft costs over time) and get prospect agreement.
5. No Need to Be Liked – Be likable without craving approval.
6. Control Emotions – Stay in the moment, undistracted.
7. Comfort with Money Talks – Discuss finances freely.
8. Follow a Consultative Process – Use a formal, milestone-centric process like Baseline Selling—beats slow relationships or quick transactions.

10 Rules for Sending Sales Emails

1. Target and Qualify Contacts – Know your audience; skip blasting random prospects who don’t need your help.
2. Personalize the Greeting – Start with “Hi [FirstName]” or they won’t bother reading.
3. Skip Inauthentic Openers – Ditch fake “hope you’re well” if you don’t know ’em—no one cares.
4. Don’t Sell Features/Benefits – Tease value to spark interest; save the pitch for the connect.
5. Keep It Short and Simple – Stick to a few lines; no one’s reading a novel.
6. Send Personalized Batches – Do 50 targeted ones instead of 5,000 spam blasts—quality over quantity.
7. Don’t Assign Them Homework – Offer to call them; don’t make them chase you.
8. Spam-Proof Subject Line – Make it genuine and intriguing—no clickbait vibes.
9. Be Believable – Promise what you control (like time savings), not wild claims like instant growth.
10. Write Like a Friend – Sound natural and conversational, not salesy robot speak.

23 Must-Do Steps to Improve Channel Sales

1. Schedule Field Calls – Touch base with territory salesperson/manager for two days of joint visits.
2. Identify Accounts – Pin down which accounts they’ll see and their focus areas.
3. Check Product Exposure – Ask when the account last heard about your products.
4. Gauge Purchase Volume – Find out annual units/projects/purchases.
5. Review Product Usage – What types do they use; have they specified yours before?
6. Assess Product Mix – Do they use other lines you carry or just yours?
7. Define Call Purpose – Clarify if it’s lunch/learn, update, class, group, or project-specific.
8. Confirm Decision Makers – Ensure key players are joining.
9. Send Itinerary – Provide a full schedule upfront to maximize time.
10. Plan Social Events – Include after-work activities that could spark business.
11. Evaluate Relationships – Gauge the distributor rep’s rapport with accounts.
12. Track Annual Business – Ask how much volume they do with these accounts.
13. Target Top Customers – Identify their top 10 by volume; should you meet them?
14. Assign Follow-Ups – Decide who/how to chase opportunities from the trip.
15. Share Trip Overview – Send summary to the right sales manager.
16. Spot New Accounts – How many untapped ones; what’s the potential?
17. Inventory Sales Tools – What do they have; what should you bring?
18. Address Objections/Opps – Biggest hurdles or wins with this account?
19. Focus Product Demo – Will they show other lines or stick to yours?
20. Debrief Calls – What did we learn; align on takeaways and improvements.
21. Set Presentation Expectations – Lead some calls, then observe and coach theirs.
22. Differentiate Via Knowledge – Help partners understand your product to stand out from competitors.
23. Rank Accounts – Explain A/B/C tiers; ask if these visits are A’s, B’s, or C’s (B/C could be A’s for you).

7 Elements of an Effective Pitch

1. Personable Delivery – Stay likable; deliver the message naturally without sounding scripted.
2. Core Message – Nail what you do (elevator pitch) or your unique value (proposition)—most miss the mark.
3. Right Context – Frame it based on the question, call, or meeting type—like dressing for the occasion.
4. Highlight Who – Center the company/product/brand and its impact on the prospect.
5. Show Breadth – Cover the full offering or differentiation without rambling on.
6. Be Succinct – Use fewer words for max impact—short and sweet wins.
7. Demonstrate Expertise – Showcase company/salesperson smarts to justify value over price.

10 Attributes That DON’T Differentiate Top from Bottom Salespeople 

1. Personality – Not predictive; great personalities flop, dull ones crush quotas—it’s not about charm alone.
2. Reaching Decision Makers – Tops are 341% more likely to close, but in most companies, neither tops nor bottoms consistently do it.
3. Closing – Overrated and weak across the board; effective prior stages make deals close themselves.
4. Friendly (Likable) – Doesn’t separate elites; you can be likable and still suck at building trust or winning.
5. Urgency – Tops create it 329% better via consultative selling, but bottoms rarely do, so no company-wide differentiation.
6. Presenting – High scores for all; bottoms often shine here by relying on presentations over real consulting.
7. Extroverted – No edge; introverts may even listen/ask better, and extroverts burn out on social energy.
8. Integrity – Important but not a differentiator; high-integrity folks can fail at trust, low ones sometimes build it.
9. Video Proficiency – Remote selling skill from 2020-21 doesn’t set tops apart from bottoms.
10. Social Selling – LinkedIn visibility gets meetings, but doesn’t help close more—tops and bottoms perform similarly.

13 Qualities Prospects Care About

1. Conversations – The quality of chats you have with them—make ’em meaningful.
2. Differentiation – How well you stand out yourself and your company.
3. Questions Asked – The insightful ones you pose to uncover needs.
4. Fresh Perspectives – New ideas and angles you bring to the table.
5. Helping Over Selling – Prioritizing their success over closing the deal.
6. Uncover Real Needs – Guiding them to what they truly need, not just what they think.
7. Ease of Process – Making everything simple and hassle-free for them.
8. Internal Sell Support – Helping them pitch you/solution to their team easily.
9. Justify Pricing – Ensuring they can rationalize your cost (not just you).
10. Likability – If they like you (not enough alone, but a must-have).
11. Easy to Work With – Being straightforward and collaborative.
12. Value Delivered – Bringing real, tangible benefits to them.
13. Trust (Bonus Key) – Building genuine trust—the ultimate deal-maker.

10 Ways Elite Salespeople Master Finance Milestones

1. Dive Deep on Budget – Probe thoroughly: “What’s the real budget here?” to confirm and qualify.
2. Always Ask About Money – Bring up finances early and directly to uncover details.
3. Address Budget Gaps – When budget’s missing or too small, explore options and build value to bridge it.
4. Uncover Competitor Pricing – Ask about rivals’ quotes to position yours effectively.
5. Qualify Spend Before Quoting – Confirm they have and will spend the money before sending proposals.
6. Contextualize Pricing – Use budget insights to sell value, making your price make sense.
7. Prevent Price Objections – Handle finances upfront to avoid pushback later.
8. Shorten the Sales Cycle – Cut back-and-forth by nailing money talks early and decisively.
9. Secure Follow-Up Calls – Ensure pricing reviews happen by building commitment during discussions.
10. Keep Opportunities Moving – Have timely, proper finance convos to avoid stalls and close faster.

20 Ways Salespeople Maximize Their Time

1. Prep and Dive In – Quickly get ready and immediately start making those calls.
2. Learn from Every Call – Make cold calls and refine your approach with each one for better results.
3. Follow Best Practices – Stick to a world-class sales process to streamline every step.
4. Uncover Compelling Reasons – Dig deep to find buyers’ must-have motivations early.
5. Thoroughly Qualify – Fully vet opportunities to focus only on winnable ones.
6. Use Predictive Scorecards – Apply sales-specific tools to score and prioritize opps accurately.
7. Smart Follow-Up – Time and tailor follow-ups strategically for maximum impact.
8. Balance Relationships with Selling – Build bonds while actively advancing the sale.
9. Complement Calls with Emails – Use cold emails to support, not replace, direct calling.
10. Engage on LinkedIn – Connect and interact with potential customers, not just add followers.
11. Earn the Meeting – Provide value upfront so prospects actually want to meet.
12. Quote Only Qualified Prospects – Only propose to those vetted and ready to buy.
13. Hunt Proactively – Generate leads actively instead of waiting for RFPs or reorders.
14. Craft Compelling Voicemails – Leave messages that prompt returns and spark interest.
15. Prioritize Winners – Chase legitimate prospects hard while dropping lost causes fast.
16. Hone Your Messaging – Perfect pitches to grab attention and convert quickly.
17. Listen and Guide – Focus on hearing prospects and steering convos productively.
18. Deepen Discovery – Take time in discovery to build stronger, faster-closing cases.
19. Minimize Breaks – Stay focused with fewer interruptions to power through tasks.
20. Streamline Admin – Handle CRM, reports, and spreadsheets efficiently to free up selling time.

10 Factors for Sky-High Win-Rates (What Tops Do Right)

1. Late-Stage Pipeline Measurement – Calculate from qualified/closable stages—higher win-rates start later in the funnel.
2. Minimal Competition – Face fewer rivals—higher win-rates come from thinner fields.
3. Eliminate Competitors – Attempt to knock out the competition (20% of tops do; 0% of bottoms)—higher win-rates from owning the deal.
4. Master Value Selling – Sell perceived value in consultative deals (95% of tops; 0% of bottoms)—higher win-rates beat price wars.
5. Shorten Sales Cycles – Compress long cycles for advantage (73% of tops; few bottoms)—higher win-rates from speed and survival.
6. Use Scorecards – Award points for win predictors (40% of tops; 5% of bottoms)—higher win-rates from high scores.
7. Enforce Discipline – Follow process, qualify strictly, skip unwinnable quotes—higher win-rates from focused rigor.
8. Quote on Verbal Go-Aheads – Provide proposals only as formalities after buy-in—higher win-rates from locked-in deals.
9. Build Team Capability – Aim for high overall scores (60s+ vs. 30s)—higher win-rates from stronger teams.
10. Train, Coach, Role-Play – Invest in ongoing sessions on process, consulting, value—higher win-rates from continuous improvement.

Which of these 236 are your super-powers? Comment in the LinkedIn post.

Image by Grok4