What Skills Make a Salesperson Effective? An Exploratory Comparative Study among Car Sales Professionals

This study explores important skills of an effective salesperson as well as their impacts in terms of performance from both sales managers and sales representatives perspectives. An exploratory research was conducted on a total of 58 car sales professionals that comprise 30 sales managers and 28 salespersons. A thematic analysis of interviews content indicates existence of both similarities and differences in skills perceptions among the two groups of sales professionals. Salespeople reveal that to be effective they should have communication and listening skills, knowledge possession, sales presentation skills, flexibility and adaptability, empathy, cooperative skills, honest and ethical behavior, and time management skills. Sales managers, on the other hand, highlighted the importance of two additional skills, namely the follow-up and technology skills. From the skills gap, the study suggests implications for academicians and practitioners.