Essential Qualities/Traits of a salesman:

1. Sound health:A salesman should posses a sound and physique in order to become efficient. A salesman who is not
healthy cannot maintain a pleasing appearance. He will also not be able carry on his duties efficiently.
2. Good posture:Good posture enhances the appearance and personality of the salesman. A salesman should maintain an
alluring posture, i.e. he should stand erect or sit erect while meeting a customer. It makes a good impression on the customer.
Therefore the salesman should try to acquire certain good posture in order to attract customers.
3. Pleasant voice:Voice is the inde of one!s own feelings than the facial epression. The quality and the tone of the "oice
also ha"e its influence on the hearer. The salesman should ha"e pleasant, clear and forceful "oice. The "oice should not be
coarse, high pitched, shrill, commanding or nasal. These types of "oices generally irritate customers.
4. Good appearance:A good physical appearance is a big asset for salesman. The first impression on the customer is created
by the appearance of the salesman. A good appearance generally gi"es more confidence to a salesman and he is able to
con"ince the customers more easily. The appearance of the salesman may be di"ided into # important segments$
%. &leanliness, '. Grooming and #. &lothes.
. !heerfulness:&heerfulness is the greatest "irtue of a good salesman. ("eryone wants to be with persons, who are
cheerful. If the salesman is cheerful, possesses a good health, "igour and a rich sense of humor, then he can attract large
number of customers.
". #ma$ination:It is an important consideration which detects the eact need of the customers. This quality helps the
salesman to understand the problems of customers in his position. )ut it is depressing to see in India that many salesmen ha"e
absolutely no imagination.
%. &lertness:Alertness refers to acti"e sensiti"ity to the situation before oneself. It is nothing but presence of mind as to what
to say, how to say and on what occasion. It consists of keen power of obser"ation and common sense to take correct decisions
quickly.
'. (esourcefulness:It is a mental ability to think and find out alternati"es. It includes de"ising new approaches to make
people do what you want them to do. *esourcefulness has great role to play in salesmanship.
). #nitiative:Initiati"e is the ability to work on his own without any guidance from anybody. It is "ery useful quality for
success in dealing with customers. +f course, in early stages a salesman has to work under the super"ision and guidance of
senior salesman. )ut in course of time, he has to depend upon himself and take independent decisions.
1*. +,servation:,ower of obser"ation is another important quality of a salesman. A good salesman must be a keen obser"er.
He should obser"e the changes in style, fashion of people, acti"ities of ri"als, Go"ernment policies, general attitude of
customers and other things.
11. Self-confidence:-elf.confidence is another important quality, which e"ery salesman should possess. The salesman
should keep -elf.confidence both on himself and the goods he sells to the customers. A salesman lacking -elf.confidence can
not con"ince his customer properly or o"ercome his ob/ections.
12. .emor/:-harp memory is another important attribute of a salesman. -harp memory refers to capacity to recogni0e this
customer, recall his past inter"iews with them, recalling their requirements and suggestions. As a matter of fact, lack of
memory is responsible for committing many errors. 1or this purpose, it is better for a salesman to keep a notebook and write
important points for future reference.
13. Socia,ilit/:It refers to ability of salesman to meet the public and make friends with them. A true salesman must be an
etro"ert, i.e., a man who likes miing with people in e"ery type of situation. 2oreo"er, he should not hesitate to meet
unknown persons. He must be a friend, philosophers and guide to customers.
14. Enthusiasm:A salesman should be enthusiastic3 otherwise he will fail to create interest in the minds of the prospects.
(nthusiasm creates assurance in the minds of the buyers for a salesman!s products and ser"ices.
1. Tact:A salesman should be a man of tact. Tact means doing the right thing at the right time, in the right way. It further
includes mental awareness of the salesman to tackle all kinds of situations. Howe"er, tact should not mean cheating or
cunningness. Tact or diplomacy helps in a"oiding ob/ections, obstacles in sales programme.
1". !ourt-operation:The modern salesman has to face se"eral challenges in the market for better business. To meet these
challenges a salesman should ha"e a good co.operation with customers, fellow salesmen and employer. The customers depend
upon the salesman to a great etent for selecting products. He 4salesman5 should etend full co.operation and help to them
4customers5 by recommending the best product to suit their needs.
1%. !ourtes/:There is a saying that 6&ourtesy costs nothing but returns high di"idend7. This particularly holds good in the
field of salesmanship. &ourtesy is a miture of politeness and consideration. It is an indication of refinement and culture. The
salesman must be polite, modest, and courteous to turn the hearts of customers.
1'. Patience and tolerance:,atience and tolerance take a "ery important place in the de"elopment of a salesman. A
salesman to become successful must be etremely patient in dealing with a buyer. In no case he should lose his temper, but to
show a spirit impatient and angry, but a salesman should remain calm and cool.
1). Effective speech:A salesman should be a good con"ersationalist. Ability to speak correctly and clearly impresses the
customers fa"ourably. The sales talk should be clear, pleasant and persuasi"e, but not like the situations3 each situation may
ha"e to be treated in a special manner. The salesman should ha"e a good command o"er (nglish and other languages, sweet
"oice, clear pronunciation, fluent epressions, etc.
2*. 0onest/:The salesman should be etremely and thoroughly honest. An honest salesman is liked by e"ery customer.
8hile dealing with a customer, the salesman must be true and frank about the products he wants to sell. He should not
misrepresent or eaggerate facts. If a salesman cheats a customer, that customer is lost fore"er.
21. #nte$rit/:Integrity of a salesman is an important trait in his character. Integrity means uprightness of character, moral
soundness, good beha"ior, honesty, fulfillment of promises, and strength of character. A salesman who does not ha"e integrity
of character will not be in a position to create good impression upon his employer, fellow salesman and customers.
22. 1o/alt/:9oyalty means willingness of obey. 9oyalty of a salesman can be classified into four groups $4i5 loyalty to the
organi0ation, 4ii5 loyalty to the customers, 4iii5 loyalty to the fellow.workers.
23. (elia,ilit/:A salesman should be trustworthy and reliable. He should take his work seriously and with responsibility. He
should not gi"e eaggerated promises. He must be truthful in his statements and honest in his dealings. If a salesman is reliable,
customers will ha"e no fear of being cheated while purchasing goods from him.
24. #ndustriousness:It refers to the ability to work hard to achie"e a goal. :nless a salesman works hard, it is "ery difficult
for him to acquire the detailed knowledge of the customers and product. Absent a result he cannot achie"e his targeted sales.
The salesman, therefore, must remain acti"e both mentally and physically. ;ullness should be a"oided.
2. !oura$e:It refers to moral strength of a person. -ometimes a salesman may commit mistakes and make false promises,
which may lead to an unpleasant atmosphere. )ut a good salesman must ha"e enough courage to face such situations boldly.
He should be daring enough to take risk and should be firm in his decisions.
2". Sincerit/:-incerity is another good quality of a successful salesman. A sincere salesman attends his customers sincerely
and eplains them all the merits and demerits of the product. He also attends to the customers promptly. A sincere salesman
does not face any difficulty to achie"e his target.
2%. .aturit/:2aturity refers to balance of mind. A salesman should be matured. He should accept gracefully both criticisms
and praises. (qual weight age should be gi"en to both for and against. 2aturity compels a salesman to think before he takes
any action.
2'. 2etermination:;etermination is nothing but will to succeed and go ahead. ,atience and perse"erance are the ingredients
of strong determination towards his duties and responsibilities. At times he may face resistance from the customers but it
should not distract him from his original aims. He should work patiently and calmly to achie"e the predetermined target.