Through nearly four decades and thousands of assessments, Omnia has researched and validated the characteristics that define the quintessential sales personality. Personally, I have a passion for helping professionals who don’t have these traditional traits consider which sales roles would fit them best. I also agree with Daniel Pink when he says we are all in sales. But that’s a topic for another blog to be written, so back to the point here.
In the dynamic world of sales, success often hinges not just on personal drive and people skills but on a deeper understanding of the nuances of human behavior, market trends, and strategic planning. While some sales roles may emphasize the need for a gregarious, outgoing personality, there’s a niche where a supportive, analytical, methodical, and structured approach can lead to amazing fulfillment and success.
We have found that there is a role for almost every personality type in sales. Let’s delve into the realm of sales roles that demand a different set of skills — ones that cater to those who thrive on data-driven decision-making, meticulous planning, and providing unwavering support to customers.
The 4 Unconventional Sales Traits that Still Matter
The Omnia Behavioral Assessment measures 4 distinct personality traits — assertiveness, communication style, pace and structure. There’s a lot that goes into each of these traits that you can read about here. Traditional sales roles typically call for an individual whose traits are highly assertive, less cautious, less supportive (think more me vs. we), outgoing, intuitive, fast paced, autonomous and resilient.
There are many types of selling roles that are also conducive to someone less gregarious, more analytical, methodical and detail oriented. Within our 17 personality groups, these characteristics fall into our analytical personality types.
An analytical sales personality is one that finds fulfillment in dissecting data, identifying patterns, and drawing insights that guide strategic decisions. Individuals with these traits have a keen eye for detail, an innate curiosity to understand the underlying mechanics of a market, and the patience to navigate complex scenarios methodically.
Roles that Benefit from Analytical Skills:
Enterprise Sales
Selling across the enterprise of a business often involves multiple stakeholders, intricate procurement processes, and long sales cycles. They also typically involve a high price point. These types of sales are not for the faint-hearted. An analytical approach is indispensable. Enterprise sales professionals must meticulously examine the needs of each stakeholder, map out the decision-making hierarchy, consider the internal politics, and craft tailored solutions backed by solid data and insights.
Consultative Sales
In consultative sales roles, success hinges on the ability to deeply understand the challenges faced by customers and propose solutions that address their pain points effectively. An analytical mindset enables sales professionals to conduct thorough needs assessments, perform root cause analyses, and present data-driven recommendations that resonate with clients.
Technical Sales
Within industries driven by technology, such as software, hardware, or engineering solutions, technical sales roles require a blend of domain expertise and analytical prowess. Sales professionals must possess a deep understanding of the technical intricacies of their offerings and be adept at translating complex concepts into tangible benefits for customers.
While the typical sales professional is hugely assertive and fast paced, there are benefits to having traits that fall into the categories of being more supportive, methodical and structured. Our reports display an individual’s results in the form of columns. We see many participant results depict very strong personality traits in one or the other, which comes in the form of an extremely high column on any of these dimensions. In the above sales roles, it can be beneficial if an individual’s columns are less extreme. And most people, after all, are never only one thing versus the other.
We all possess a balance of these characteristics. It’s important not to fall prey to a stereotype but lean into your unique traits and embrace your strengths or those of a candidate who demonstrates a solid sales track record and/or a deep propensity and desire to go into sales. Here are some other nonconventional characteristics that can be very beneficial in sales roles.
Supportive Selling
Building trust, cultivating long-term relationships, and providing exemplary customer service are paramount. A supportive sales approach involves actively listening to customer needs, empathizing with their challenges, and serving as a trusted advisor throughout the buyer’s journey.
Methodical and Structured Approaches
This entails developing well-defined sales processes, setting clear objectives, and leveraging tools and frameworks to streamline workflows. From prospecting and lead qualification to closing deals and post-sales support, adhering to a structured methodology ensures consistency and efficiency in sales operations.
In the ever-evolving landscape of sales, there exists a niche for individuals with a supportive, analytical, methodical, and structured approach. Sales roles that demand these qualities offer diverse opportunities for professionals to leverage their strengths in data analysis, strategic planning, and customer-centricity. By embracing the analytical edge and cultivating a supportive demeanor, sales professionals can excel in roles where precision, insight, and empathy are required above all else.
Want to learn more about your unique sales traits and strengths? Try our complimentary assessment, and a member of our team will contact you to debrief your results.
