10 Skills Every Top Performer Should Posses

Demonstrate Active Listening

Seeking to understand a customer's problems and goals, with active listening a top performer will better understand their prospects and clients' challenges. Then they can prescribe a solution to solve the issues and help the prospect or customers grow their business.

The epitome of Resilience & Grit

Always remember persistence wears down resistance. Salespeople are often faced with rejection, but they need to be able to overcome these challenges and continue to pursue their goals. Persistence is an important quality for any salesperson because it can make or break a sale. Prospects are often resistant to new ideas and products, but with persistence, they will be more receptive to your offer. The average salesperson gives up after 2 calls on a prospect, which can lead to lost revenue opportunities. So don’t give up!

Show Empathy

One competency to master is the ability to walk in another person’s shoes. Don’t be quick to judge, approach the client with empathy, and seek to understand. Anticipating customers' needs and wants will help you build better relationships.

Always are Prepared

Do your research on prospective clients and situations. Bringing insights to a client conversation will better enable you to build trust and find the solution that fits the client's needs. The more you can personalize your proposal and prepare for potential objections during the negotiation process. 

Self Motivated & Competitive

This is an excerpt from "A Message to My Younger Self" by Michael Jordan

"I know you're not afraid of the challenge. I know that you're confident of your skills. But you've got to be patient, my friend. All of the time and effort in the world won't make things happen faster."

We are always looking for ways to improve ourselves, but sometimes it is necessary to slow down and take a break. This can help us work smarter, not harder, and find new ways to improve ourselves that we may have never thought of before.

Strive to Establish Trust 

Keep your promises, even if it’s something as simple as returning a call when you state you will, being on time for meetings, or sending follow-up material on time. The trust matrix is very important in any business relationship, we need to be aware we are always being scored on Trust by the client. Making regular deposits in the Trust matrix removes the prospect’s fear of making the wrong decision.

Ask the Right Questions

It is a skill that helps people understand the world around them and to be able to find out how things work. Seeking to understand is a very valuable skill for a top performer to discover and develop. It is the reason why some people are able to figure out new ways of doing things, while others can't.

To be a top performer in any field, one must have the ability to seek understanding from any given situation or problem they are facing. Continue to approach each prospect with a mindset of “being a student” by properly understanding the prospect and their needs. We can then craft a solution that will better meet their needs.

Considered the Authority

Work to become the Trusted Expert in your industry. Build an online presence through social media channels, content development, and amplification of this content to show the market you are the thought leader. By building this position in your applicable market you will be the beacon for prospects to be drawn to.

I will see you when I see you,