Imagine you're building the perfect salesperson. What skills and traits would you stitch together? Most hiring managers would sketch a familiar picture: a shiny university degree, a past steeped in relevant experience, a knack for negotiation, and a background that mirrors the industry/specialty. However, what if the true recipe for top-performing salespeople is outside this typical blueprint?

As renowned sales expert, Zig Ziglar once said, "Selling is essentially a transfer of feelings." This quote illuminates the essence of what truly makes a salesperson great. It's not just about product knowledge, polished presentation skills, or years of experience—it's about creating a connection, inspiring trust, and fostering positive feelings in the customer.

Let's look at four of the leading sales trainers in the world and one key talent each believes is vital in top sales performers:

Brian Tracy - Empathy: Tracy emphasizes the importance of empathy in understanding customers' needs and wants. This ability to put oneself in the customer's shoes is fundamental to sales success.

Jill Konrath - Resilience: According to Konrath, resilience is crucial in a field where rejection is commonplace. The ability to bounce back and remain motivated despite setbacks sets top performers apart.

Grant Cardone - Tenacity: Cardone believes that tenacity, or the determination to keep going no matter what, is a crucial trait in successful salespeople.

Jeffrey Gitomer - Positive Attitude: Gitomer emphasizes the importance of a positive attitude, noting that it's contagious and can greatly influence customers' perceptions and decisions.

As recruiters, companies trust us to identify and source top talent. We are entrusted with a mission to find individuals who will fit within their organization and excel. This is a responsibility we don't take lightly. We review thousands of candidates annually, studying their qualities and evaluating their potential. Through this, we've developed a keen understanding of what it takes to be successful in sales.

Let me share a story that perfectly illustrates this idea. I once worked with a leading global medical device company with a policy against hiring pharmaceutical sales representatives. Their checklist for an ideal candidate included a four-year degree, experience in B2B or medical sales, a history of winning awards, and a preference for former collegiate athletes — essentially, the same requirements sought by pharmaceutical companies. Many pharmaceutical sales representatives impressed me with their professionalism, rigorous sales training, and ability to converse effectively with doctors. If they hadn't spent too long in the industry, they seemed like ideal candidates for transitioning into medical sales.

Taking a risk, I convinced a successful Regional Sales Manager at the medical device company to meet with an unconventional candidate. This candidate checked all of the boxes except for one — he had spent two years in the pharmaceutical industry. Despite reservations, the manager agreed to a 30-minute lunch meeting with this candidate. Contrary to expectations, this candidate outperformed the other five candidates vying for the role. Within his first year, he not only won the most prestigious sales award at the company, earning a plaque on the wall at corporate headquarters but also achieved President's Club status. Had I been a recruiter who stuck strictly to conventional standards, or if the hiring manager hadn't trusted my judgment to consider an 'imperfect' candidate, this tenacious sales representative might never have broken into the medical device industry or excelled within the organization.

Our message to hiring managers is this: trust us to identify the talents and traits that make for top performers and bring those individuals to you, regardless of their background or experience. We don't follow a cookie-cutter approach. Instead, we focus on each individual's unique strengths, understanding that diversity in skills and experiences can only enrich your team. We aim to bring you not multiple versions of the same person but a variety of individuals, each with their unique blend of qualities that can contribute to the success of your sales team.

While successful companies can teach products and services, they cannot teach the intangible qualities that make a great salesperson. By focusing on developing the next great salesperson from these unconventional candidates, we create a competent and diverse salesforce and yield a cost-effective team primed for sustained success.

As Albert Einstein famously said, "Insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results." If your sales team isn't delivering the desired results, it's time to change how you build it. Ultimately, it's not the degree or the years of experience determining a sales representative's success—it's their inherent qualities. Let's stop overlooking the nontraditional candidates and start recognizing them for the exceptional sales talent they truly are.

Kesha Courville is the Founder/CEO of Cour Consultants. For the last 25 years, Kesha and her team have been helping exceptional talent find their perfect job opportunities in the MedTech, HealthTech, and Life Sciences industries.

do you need assistance finding top talent for your organization or are you looking for opportunities in the Medical Device/MedTech industry? Contact Cour Consultants today to learn more about how we can help you achieve your recruiting and career goals.