Recently, I came across an article discussing what makes an outstanding man, and suddenly, it struck me that the criteria for an outstanding man seem tailor-made for top salespeople, because many of these criteria are exactly the standards for top salespeople. For example, resilience, confidence, empathy, open-mindedness, and the ability to see things from others' perspectives—aren't these qualities already possessed by top salespeople? At the very least, top salespeople already have the following traits:

First, top salespeople are skilled at pleasing others. Top salespeople are certainly good at pleasing others. Being good at pleasing others is a science that emphasizes rationality. First, those who are good at speaking and pleasing others have strong logical thinking; they need to organize in their minds what to say first and what to say later. Second, their words are persuasive and well-founded, not empty talk or fabrication. Third, they understand the audience's needs, always following the principle of "do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself."

In the past, we often saw eloquent people being asked, "Are you in sales?" This shows the public's perception of salespeople. I also believe that the first quality of a salesperson is to know how to speak. If you can't speak well or please others in sales, you will definitely suffer. It can be said that someone who can't even speak fluently will find it hard to do well in sales. A joke goes that a salesperson was in an elevator and needed to press the floor button. Someone asked him which floor he wanted, and he stammered "I... I... I..." for a long time. By the time the elevator had reached the 9th floor, he finally managed to say, "I want to go to the 2nd floor." Do you think such a salesperson with poor eloquence can do well in sales?

Sales is also an art of speaking. What does it mean to speak well? I think at the very least, your words should be understandable and pleasant. A salesperson whose words make customers uncomfortable is unqualified. Of course, we do not approve of slick talkers. However, fluent language facilitates communication and understanding; humorous and modest language makes people comfortable; considerate language warms people's hearts; caring language moves people. Making people feel comfortable with your words is essentially pleasing others. Or, philosophy with humor, reasoning with subtlety, boldness with modesty—in short, the art of language makes people feel great being with you. Why do we feel comfortable when we are with top salespeople? The reason is that they can take care of everyone around them when speaking, know what the people present need, and express themselves logically. In fact, this is mastering the art of public speaking that we often talk about.

Second, top salespeople can put themselves in others' shoes. More than 95% of people act from their own perspective and speak from their own position. Leaders often use commanding language, subordinates use inquiring language, teachers use instructive language, and lawyers use reasoning language. We often carry our professional language and personal perspective. However, top salespeople are those who think and speak from the customer's perspective. Ordinary salespeople may start from their own product, explaining its features, benefits, and convenience to the customer. But top salespeople start from the customer, asking about their needs, and explain how the product can bring convenience, solve practical problems, and even bring more benefits to the customer. They also answer questions about precautions when using the product in daily life. Therefore, top salespeople are those who know how to put themselves in others' shoes.

Here's a short story about how a top salesperson teaches others to think from another's perspective. One day, a wife was cooking in the kitchen. Her husband, a top salesperson, kept nagging beside her: "Slow down, be careful! The fire is too high. Flip the fish quickly! Too much oil! Add salt first, then a bit more salt." The wife blurted out, "I know how to cook, I don't need you to teach me!" The husband calmly replied, "I just wanted you to know how I feel when you chatter beside me while I'm driving."

Top salespeople are often like this—they can think from the other party's standpoint, act in their situation, and experience their life as if it were their own. Their words often consider the other party's interests and solve their problems.

Third, top salespeople understand women's hearts. Top salespeople are also observant, meticulous, and patient. In observing others, they can discern the other person's needs or wants. We often see this scene: a top salesperson is shopping with his girlfriend. They walk past a jewelry display window, and the girl stares intently at the mannequin, reluctant to leave. They go to a restaurant, and the boy asks the girl to order first, then says he has something urgent to do and will be back in 5 minutes. Five minutes later, he returns and they continue their meal. After the meal, the boy takes out the ring from the mannequin that he had run to buy, and gives it to the girl. This is mostly a scene from a TV drama, where the boy is usually a top salesperson, a likable one.

In fact, top salespeople can usually tell from your words, expressions, or actions what you are thinking, what you want, what you need, whether you are a potential customer, and whether they should invest time, effort, and money in you. Their experience is a journey of reading countless people, observing details, and understanding hearts. Top professionals in any field are forged through countless trainings, judgments, failures, and successes!

Fourth, top salespeople are open-minded. We know that an outstanding man must be open-minded, and open-mindedness is an essential trait. If a man argues with women every day, can he be called an outstanding man? Similarly, if a salesperson argues with customers over every penny, it's hard to gain their trust. Without trust, sales cannot be closed. Conversely, only open-minded men can become top salespeople.

Top salespeople are mostly experienced people. Even if they haven't read ten thousand books, they have traveled ten thousand miles, seen the world, and met countless people. Therefore, they are mostly not petty or calculating. To be honest, those without experience find it hard to be open-minded because they haven't encountered situations where they needed help from others or observed the collective role of human nature, nor have they seen different types of interpersonal relationships. Top salespeople are different; they have dealt with different people and negotiated business, so they tend to be more open-minded about things. Although they may not remain calm when Mount Tai collapses, they are fearless in the face of storms. They can be a wall for women to shelter from wind and rain!

With so many advantages, can top salespeople not be outstanding men? Even if they are not outstanding men, I believe they are good men who are understanding and considerate!

About the Author:

Liang Shengwei, with twelve years of marketing management and ten years of enterprise consulting management; formerly the Marketing Director of Guangdong C&S Paper Group and Assistant General Manager of Guangdong Huihailong Group; a management expert and marketing expert; one of the founders of the "Win" enterprise management system model; has published over 200 articles in various management and marketing magazines and websites. In recent years, he has focused on the research and promotion of "building internal management models for companies preparing to go public." Email: lsw812@163.com