When you’re filling positions for the marketing department, you need to look for candidates that have certain personality traits, work habits and experience so they can become valuable members of the team. Successful marketers have the ability to understand people at a deeper level and are good sales people. They need to have a strong business background in order to make good decisions and creative thinking skills to solve problems and overcome challenges.

Here are some key traits and characteristics that make a marketing professional successful:

Strong Sales Background

Marketers don’t have to be the ones closing the sale, but they do have to know how the sales process works and what it takes to convert a customer. Whether they are selling products or services, the most successful marketers have a solid understanding of the sales cycle and can create campaigns around a customer’s behavior.

Good Time Management Skills

Marketers often have to wear many hats so they need to have a strong handle on their time and schedule. Look for signs of good time management and project management skills so they can take a project and execute it successfully.

Avid Learners

The world of business and marketing is always changing and evolving — especially in the digital age. Your most successful marketing professionals will be at the forefront of technology and always ready to learn. They need to stay up-to-date on the latest online and offline marketing techniques and sales strategies, and have an entrepreneurial mindset to create successful marketing campaigns.

Strong Work Ethic

The strongest marketers are driven, focused and persistent. They will take on as many projects as they can handle and will be self-motivated enough to stick it through until the project is complete. You need marketers like this who can follow through on projects and produce quality work at a high rate.

Good Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Marketers need to be socially savvy and able to negotiate, persuade and lead people effectively. They must have strong interpersonal and communication skills in order to achieve their goals. Even though some may be introverts by nature, they still have a strong skill set to work with different types of people in a professional environment.

If you need help filling marketing positions for your company, consider working with a staffing firm like Morris Bixby, a leading agricultural recruiting firm that attracts exceptional talent and top performers for all departments in your company.