The Natural Born Salesperson

So how are your selling skills? Have you ever heard the term “You’re a natural born sales person?” Someone born with a natural style of selling that isn’t annoying or pushy? But is being a likable salesperson something you are born with or is it something you can learn?

Personally, I believe it’s a mixture of both.

I started selling when I was in the fourth grade. My Mother walked me to school, while most of the other kids were driven. This allowed me to make a quick stop at the local convenience store to pick up some salty and sweet “supplies” for the school day. When someone wanted to buy one of the treats from me, my selling career was launched and I never looked back. Buying low and selling high, or buying at regular price and selling for a bit more became

It’s true that some people can naturally sell ice to a polar bear. But for most of us selling brings to mind the days of going to buy a used car and being pressed into buying a certain one by an annoying, pushy salesman.

Does selling make you feel dirty?

Does the idea of putting a smile on your face, pretending strangers are your best friends and sweet-talking them into spending money on your products or services make you want to hide?

So how can you sell your products or services or books then, without feeling like you have to become some else to do it? What does it take to develop your salesmanship skills so that people will like you?

Salesmanship is both an art and a science. It’s a human activity that involves human interaction. Although a natural affinity to selling is helpful, it can be learned.

Here are some surprising statistics:

• 75% of buyers want marketers to curb the sales-speak in their content. (Source: DemandGen Report)
• Only 2% of sales occur at a first meeting. (Source: Marketing Donut)  
• Nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads. (Source: The Annuitas Group)
• 63% of people requesting information today won’t buy for at least three months. (Source: Marketing Donut)
• Companies that nurture leads make 50% more sales at a cost 33% less than non-nurtured leads. (Source: Forrester Research)

These statistics show that selling takes more than being pushy and aggressive. It takes time to build a relationship with your potential client and repeated exposure in a good way.

Let’s first decide what a natural born sales person actually is. You’ve no doubt said to someone they were a natural born salesman, often using it as a dig. It implies you either have it or you don’t, like being born left-handed or short or double-jointed.

In this instance, it means that selling is a talent the person doesn’t have to work at. But in reality, a good salesperson works very hard at being natural. They are constantly developing their ability to read people, their storytelling and conversational habits and how they interact with others.

A natural born salesperson isn’t pushy. They are confident and have a lot of enthusiasm but they aren’t aggressive when getting people to listen to them.

A skilled, natural born salesperson has traits that include:

• Conscientiousness: Top salespeople carry a strong sense of duty, making them reliable and committed to the products they sell.
• Humility: A humble salesperson gets the support of his team and other company members.
• Confidence: Good salespeople don’t worry about what others think of them. They are confident and not easily embarrassed.
• Curiosity: Willing to absorb information and having inquisitiveness improves the salesperson’s knowledge of the product and company they represent.

A salesperson that is likeable and naturally likes people is less likely to be pushy and aggressive to the people they are trying to convince to buy their product. They are confident with a natural curiosity that prevents them from being brash. Become a natural born salesperson and watch your business grow.

What do you think about this? I’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and opinions on the topic of being a natural born salesperson.