For the next wave of college graduates, or people just ready to make a career change, sales can be an attractive option. But it's important to understand that the traditional notions of what makes a great salesperson have changed dramatically in the last 15-20 years. As consumers have become better informed and more empowered, the skills that make for a great seller have changed accordingly.

In today's business world, the most successful sales representatives have a combination of technical skills, customer service skills, and soft skills such as self-awareness and resiliency.

It's Not Possible to Teach All Sales Skills

Some of the skills that make great salespeople are inherent personality traits and hard, if not impossible, to teach. Dan Ross, an SVP of Salesforce, writes that some of the most important skills for salespeople can't be taught. These skills include: curiosity, integrity, drive, problem-solving, resiliency, self-awareness, and emotional awareness.

But for those with the right personality profile, sales can come naturally and lead to a very lucrative career. Ross emphasizes this when he writes:

"In my near decade at Salesforce, I've worked for, managed, and hired many a salesperson. Some of our best software reps had never sold software before joining us. In fact, some of our best closers had never closed a deal before working here. This may sound unbelievable, but believe it. What these individuals may have lacked in traditional sales experience, they more than compensated for with core qualities." - The 7 Sales Skills That Can't be Taught

Nonetheless, old-fashioned hard work and preparation also go a long way towards making a successful seller, or making a natural seller even better. The following skills can all be trained and developed over time by those with commitment to their craft.

Product Knowledge

While sales managers don't expect new recruits to have the same deep product knowledge as those who have been on the job longer, they must have strong internal motivation to learn as much as they can about it in a short time. A job candidate who can demonstrate that he or she has spent time researching what the company sells will always stand out more than one who expects others to teach them everything.

Strong Time Management Skills

Because sales representatives often don't work on a set schedule, it can be easy for them to schedule too little or too much into their day. Inexperienced salespeople who land jobs prove to employers that they can manage their own time with little to no oversight. One way to accomplish this is for the new salesperson to establish a schedule at the start of each new workday to determine what he or she would like to accomplish that day. This should include setting an ending time for the workday to avoid burnout.

The Ability to Communicate Clearly in Writing

The salesperson of today must rely on written communication more than previous generations of salespeople did. While they primarily used the telephone and personal visits to make sales, the modern sales representative is just as likely to use email, texting, and cloud-based software programs to connect with prospects and work with them through every stage of the sales funnel.

Unprofessional language, such as using the letter u instead of spelling out you or using too many industry abbreviations, can turn potential prospects off in a hurry. For those who don't feel confident in their written communication skills, taking a course that specifically addresses this topic can be helpful.

Ability to Learn Detailed Information Quickly

While all jobs require learning new skills and retaining a lot of information, it can feel like overload for people new to sales. The best way for new sales representatives to cope with this situation is to have a strong understanding of their own learning style. For example, some people learn better with visual aids as opposed to just reading the material while others need to hear things at least a few times before remembering them. Being upfront with the sales trainer about how they learn best can help new reps feel acclimated to their job more quickly.