Six traits that make a 'one-in-50' salesperson: if you come across someone who is pleasant and fits this description, you probably are dealing with a very successful salesperson.

• Author: Wiesner, Pat
• Position: On Management - Column

WE ALL HAVE TO PUT UP WITH SALESPEOPLE in our lives, whether we are in sales ourselves or not.

My guess would be somewhere around 20 to 30 a day, ranging from the guy at Krispy Kreme in the morning trying to sell you an extra dozen; to the stock salesman who calls in the middle of the day to trick you into buying his pick; to the lady who calls you at home during dinner to read you her pitch. And lots more!

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Most aren't very good at their job, and we (and I suspect they) know it.

The problem all of us sales-people have is to stand out and be the "one in 50" that is really good, one who people like to hear from and like to be around. What does it take, and how can we measure it?

A Great Salesperson is a great listener. People who think they want to try sales often say, "I like people and I get along well with them. I think I'd do really well in sales." Often this turns out to be code for "I like to talk, I like to tell." Two tendencies not found in good salespeople.

Recently one of our managers described one of our most successful salespeople as a "world-class listener." In my book, the highest accolade. Those talkers with the "gift of gab" might make a living but they will be working for the true listeners.

A Great Salesperson is a skillful questioner. You'll know you're in the presence of a successful salesperson when you find yourself answering questions about yourself and your business that you probably had no intention of discussing. And more or less enjoying it. We sense that this person is not just trying to push product but is interested in understanding the problem.

A Great Salesperson brings more to the table than his or her product. The great majority of sales folk make themselves average or less by talking intelligently about only...