Even if you think you don’t have sales experience, you probably do.  You sell an idea when you persuade someone of your point of view or an image when you meet someone for the first time.  So, even if you don’t plan on becoming a professional salesperson, you adapt some of the traits of a master salesperson.

“I’ve met a tremendous amount of talented, successful people.  They’ve taught me a great deal, and I’ve appreciated every one of them,” said the late Paul J. Meyer, author of “Pink Slip Proof:  How to Control All Future Paychecks.”  When you look closely, it’s no secret how they arrived at their present income and position.”

In his book, Meyer listed five basic qualities shared by every master salesperson:
1.  All master salespeople are persuasive and convincing.  The ability to persuade isn’t limited to leaders.  Whenever you help someone see something your way, you have made a sale.  Top salespeople use every technique at their disposal, including stories, dreams, color and humor.
2.  All master salespeople focus on service.  Meyer cited the “golden rule” of service:  Serve others as you would like to be served.  Salespeople who go out of their way to focus on service likely will win their customers’ loyalty.
3.  All master salespeople are honest.  If you’re a known liar, no one will trust you enough to buy what you’re selling.  “Top salespeople are honest, keep their word, work hard, are responsible, are incredibly dependable and act with complete integrity in all they do,”  Meyer said.
4.  All master salespeople are self-motivating.  Master salespeople motivate themselves to accomplish goals, no matter how they feel or what other people say.  “Self-motivation requires the development of inner strength, conscious willpower, overwhelming desire, and the determination to reach any goal you personally want to achieve,” Meyer said.
5.  All master salespeople care about other people.  The best salespeople genuinely want to leave their clients better off than they found them – they’re not selling to make money, but to give their clients a needed product or service.