How to Be a Successful Sales Representative: 13 Best Practices

Beyond delivering an exciting pitch, a successful sales rep follows a set of best practices they’ve learned over the years and has a genuine interest in understanding their customers’ needs and helping them come up with solutions through what they are selling.

Being a successful sales rep involves more than just selling. To be a successful sales rep, you need to building lasting relationships with customers. What sets great salespeople apart is the ability to empathize, handle rejections gracefully, and exude confidence in what they’re trying to sell.

We asked 13 sales experts to share their weekly best practices for sales rep success. Here’s what they said.

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13 Best Practices From Sales Experts

Visibility creates opportunity

“I have one mantra that has proven to drive success year after year: ‘Visibility creates opportunity.’ Every week, sales people need to increase their visibility by sharing and engaging with buyers on social networks.”

Koka Sexton, Founder, Social Selling Labs
@kokasexton

Record your sales calls

“Go back and review your ‘game tape.’ Break it down for what works and how you can improve. You’ll get better.”

Steve Richard, Founder and CRO, ExecVision
ExecVision.io
@srichardv

Focus your time on where the commission lies

“Top reps attack every day proactively and strategically instead of RE-acting to what’s in front of them (the squeaky wheel). They focus their time on where the most commission lies by blocking time for ‘A’ accounts, ‘B’ accounts and ‘C’ accounts, working deals, returning messages, dedicated email time, crossing off the to-do list—and they end their day with planning for tomorrow.”

Lauren Bailey, President, Factor8
factor8.com
@Factor8Sales
LinkedIn
YouTube

Review and manage your calendar

“Every week, evaluate how much time was spent on prospecting, sales conversations, customer work, follow-up, and administrative tasks. Then use that review to better schedule for the coming week.

“Often, your sales calendar will have more internal meetings and admin time interfering with your ability to prospect regularly, engage in sales conversations to qualify opportunities, and handle appropriate customer work. Learn to say no to things that get in the way of selling.”

Barb Giamanco, CEO, Social Centered Selling
scs-connect.com
@barbaragiamanco

Focus on your buyers

“Focus on who your buyer is and speak about them, not about you or your company. Find out who your customers are and what is important to their company growth. Tailor all your messages and interactions for each buyer so that they create interest, show you care, and add value.”

Lori Richardson, Founder and CEO, Score More Sales
scoremoresales.com
@scoremoresales

Constantly practice your pitch and presentation

“If you want to be a successful in sales, then you need to constantly practice your pitch and presentation. Whether you’re making a cold call or giving a sales presentation, it is absolutely critical that you are prepared—even over-prepared. This means having all relevant information at your fingertips, including pricing, testimonials, samples, and a list of questions you need to ask to direct the sales conversation.

“I suggest creating a checklist of all the information you will need, and reviewing it before your call or presentation. No matter how many times you’ve made a sales call or given the same presentation, always review your material ahead of time. You only have one opportunity to make a great first impression, so don’t waste it.”

Brian Tracy, Chairman and CEO, Brian Tracy International
briantracy.com/blog
@BrianTracy

Always be learning

“We all know the ABC’s of sales, but ABL is just as important! I should know: Ignoring this concept and thinking that I knew better literally cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars in missed sales earlier in my career.

“I challenge every sales rep to make sure that they read a book, attend a seminar, hire a coach or at least watch some YouTube videos every single week to succeed in sales. It’s easier than you think!”

Stephanie Scheller, CEO, Scheller Enterprises, LLC
TheStephanieScheller.com
@SuccessSteph

Stay organized

“The #1 thing that helps reps the most is staying organized. At the end of every day, make sure your notes are tagged properly and in the right place, your checklists are organized, and your data is up-to-date.

“The minute you start to let this slip, everything slips. Accounts go untouched. Follow-ups don’t happen. Make organization a priority early on and you’ll have a long and successful career.”

Max Altschuler, CEO, Sales Hacker
saleshacker.com
@MaxAlts

Reaffirm your ‘why’

“Review your goals every week and reaffirm the ‘why.’ The bigger the why, the bigger the try.”

Gerhard Gschwandtner, Founder and Publisher, Selling Power
sellingpower.com
@Gerhard20

Use technology wisely

“It’s tough to keep up on all the deals in your pipeline and the many buyers and influencers. Learn to use the tech you’ve been given to help you better manage your day and keep your deals on track.”

Nancy Nardin, Founder, Smart Selling Tools

Evaluate what’s working and what’s not

“Make incremental improvements constantly based on these evaluations.”

Deb Calvert, President and Founder, People First Productivity Solutions
peoplefirstps.com
@PeopleFirstPS

Look for ways you can be useful to potential customers

“Successful sales reps look for ways they can be useful to potential customers. By using empathy as their intuition and reaching out—via phone, email, and social media—in a meaningful way, they build trust. They know this truth: The best selling approach feels like helping (because it is).”

Brian Carroll, Founder and CEO, B2B Lead Blog
b2bleadblog.com
@brianjcarroll

“Pick up the phone.”

Jeb Blount, CEO, Sales Gravy
salesgravy.com
@SalesGravy

In conclusion, becoming a successful sales representative requires a strategic approach that includes building strong customer relationships, continuous learning, and effective time management. Implementing these best practices not only boosts your sales performance but also solidifies your reputation as a trusted and reliable sales professional.

FAQs Related to Sales Rep Best Practices

• 1. What are the most important skills every successful sales rep needs?

  Top sales reps master five core competencies: active listening, resilience to handle rejection, time management, adaptability for different buyers, and emotional intelligence.

  While product knowledge is teachable, these foundational skills separate top performers who close significantly more deals and maintain longer customer relationships.

• 2. How long does it typically take to become a proficient sales representative?

  Basic proficiency: 3-6 months. Consistent quota attainment: 12 months. True mastery: 18-24 months. B2B enterprise sales require longer ramp times (12-18 months) than transactional B2C sales (3-6 months). Top performers accelerate growth by investing 5+ hours weekly in skill development.

• 3. What are the biggest mistakes new sales reps make and how can they avoid them?

  Five critical errors include talking too much (aim for a 70/30 listening ratio), pitching features over outcomes, neglecting follow-up (80% of sales need 5+ touchpoints), avoiding budget discussions, and failing to qualify prospects. Avoid these by adopting consultative selling, asking open-ended questions, and viewing rejection as market feedback.

• 4. How should sales managers measure individual rep performance beyond quota attainment?

  While quota achievement remains important, comprehensive performance measurement includes leading indicators that predict future success.

  Track leading indicators: activity metrics (calls, meetings, proposals), pipeline velocity (cycle time, conversion rates), engagement quality (response rates, meeting-to-opportunity ratio), and skill development. Monitor deal size trends, win rates, and customer satisfaction. Key metric: pipeline coverage ratio—top reps maintain 3-4x quota in active opportunities.

• 5. Why is emotional intelligence crucial for sales success?

  High-EQ salespeople read non-verbal cues, manage emotions under pressure, and adapt communication styles to buyers. They outperform peers by 18% and experience 25% less turnover. EQ matters most in consultative selling, where trust-building, diplomatic objection handling, and long-term relationships drive success over aggressive tactics.

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