When it comes to excelling in sales all you need is a sharp suit and an even sharper line in persuasive patter, right? Well if you’re selling double glazing or a secondhand motor you bought from a mush in Shepherd’s Bush then that may be the case. But if you want a successful sales career in the corporate sector you’re going to need more.

Duncan Jarret is the national sales director for Aegon, a pensions and life insurance company, and has 600 sales staff working for him. He says: “All of my sales staff are highly motivated and intelligent individuals. The top priority for me is a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn. The training here is intense and all of my team are expected to sit exams on a regular basis so an ability to take information on board is also essential, as is being able to communicate that information to others. I find that the best sales people are extremely well organised and methodical by nature.”

A shiny-suited wide boy is also the last thing Paul Ludlow, senior sales manager at the cruise company Carnival UK, would want in his sales team. He says: “The business-to-business sector is the same as any other sales sector in that to succeed you need to be a deeply motivated individual who is energised by success. However, it is also vital that you take an intellectual approach to the job and have complete transparency in your dealings with clients. Quite often there are multimillion-pound deals at stake and anyone who didn’t bring a certain gravitas, commercial awareness and professionalism to the table with them would be spotted a mile away.”

The head of business sales at npower, Wendy McCormick, sees passion, empathy and a strong competitive spirit as what makes the difference in her sales team. “It is important for sales people to have a genuine commitment to helping a customer,” she says. “People need to be able to listen and be willing to engage if they want to be a success in sales..”

Selling ice to the Inuit

Do you have what it takes to close tough sales? We ask a few salespeople to practise their patter

BACKGROUND

• Sold on getting results

• Tall tales about telesales

• The key to selling

• How to motivate salespeople

Dan Ferrandino, a director at Reed Specialist Recruitment, believes that to achieve success on a long-term basis requires more than just relationship building. “A good salesperson is someone who has a high degree of professionalism and applies an almost scientific rigour to the job,” he says. “An ability to be able to deal with adversity is also a superb personality trait to have. Anyone can be full of confidence when things are going well, but it takes a special kind of person to maintain his or her confidence when it isn’t.” Ferrandino also believes that becoming adept at networking is something that will give longevity to your career. He says: “When it comes to senior promotions the decision often comes down to who has the best contacts book. Networking from early in your career may not bring short-term gain, but you will definitely benefit from it in the future.”

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