Good sales is a matter of knowledge, skills and attitude

Dec. 5, 2017
Knowledge and skills only have a 15% impact on sales performance while attitude accounts for 85% of the success.

You can have the best product or service in the world, but if you don't have the right people in place you will never get the business results you desire.

Speaking at the recent NationaLease Sales Meeting, Michael Caceci of Excellerated Performance, LLC, says a good salesperson needs knowledge, skills and attitude in order to be successful.

He defines those terms this way:

  • Knowledge: What to do or information, understanding or skills gained from experience or education
  • Skills: How to do it or the ability to do something that comes from training, experience and practice
  • Attitude: Want to do it

His list of skills includes: self-leadership, business acumen, consultative selling, written and verbal communications, and time management.

A salesperson needs knowledge of his customers and prospects as well as of local, regional and national markets. In addition, he or she must understand the buying process and be aware of industry trends. And a good salesperson must be well acquainted with both current and emerging competition.

He added that knowledge and skills combined only have a 15% impact on sales performance while attitude accounts for 85% of the success. But even though skills and knowledge only appear to have a small impact, they still are vital to the sales process.

Attitude is developed by major events that shape ones thinking and by discovering new facts. Attitude can be changed through increasing the use of positive language, and by being aware of negative “habits of thought.” During the hiring process, test for attitude and once you have hired someone reward behaviors that align with your sales goals.

But don’t forget to make sure your salespeople also have the knowledge and skills that will allow them to achieve their sales goals.

About the Author

Jane Clark | Senior VP of Operations

Jane Clark is the senior vice president of operations for NationaLease. Prior to joining NationaLease, Jane served as the area vice president for Randstad, one of the nation’s largest recruitment agencies, and before that, she served in management posts with QPS Companies, Pro Staff, and Manpower, Inc.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

What challenges are top of mind for fleet professionals in 2025? Get exclusive insights from the 2025 Fleet Trends Survey and discover where the industry is headed next.
The most successful fleets accomplish more than delivering freight. To accomplish this, fleets need a fuel that’s reliable, more economical and more sustainable. That fuel is ...
Are your KPIs driving real fleet improvement? Learn how to set smarter, data-driven benchmarks, track success like top-performing fleets, and apply proven strategies to optimize...
Learn how eets can enhance truck utilization and minimize safety incidents using business intelligence and AI. Delve into innovative practices, technology integration and real...