That would include talent agents, advertising, etc. (You could argue these are all just salesmen)
There are a host of other qualities, but this strikes me the most "inborn" one.
I think it's the same for sales or a lot of other professions. People with talent can go much further.
it is very hard to replicate the behavior of someone that just loves being around people. i can usually tell who is a "natural" and who isn't (i.e. those that went through therapy, coaching and the like)
learning how to be around people can't really be done in a safe space since the world at large in unsafe. people will say dumb shit at you. people will cut you off. people will do unexpectedly nice (or mean) things. everyone is different.
the only way to truly learn these skills is to get out there and be vulnerable. i can see how classes and sessions can get you to a point at which one is comfortable enough to even BEGIN doing this (I went to a few social anxiety meetups with friends), but that alone isn't enough.
getting to the root of that anxiety with a psychologist is more effective, in my (limited) opinion, but that can be expensive for many
you CAN get pretty far on the basics though. most people like being around someone that is humorous and makes them feel good about themselves. you can go REALLY far by finding what someone really likes to talk about and letting them talk (while asking questions throughout)
podcasts with interviews from journalists or news companies helped me with this a lot
People LOVE stories they can see themselves in. Gets their imaginations all worked up.
Also, EVERYBODY has incentives. Money, becoming a 10x developer, travelling the world, being a better parent. All of these are incentives.
If you don't believe me, check this out.
Remember the last time you got pitched a timeshare? (If you ever went on a heavily discounted Disney vacation, you almost certainly did.) The salesperson working the room will spend at least the first 15-30 minutes setting the scene. "You. Puerto Rico. Corona. Beach. Need I say more?" type stuff.
Pyramid marketing salespeople do the exact same thing to build their downlines (i.e. hire more people under them). They spend 80% of their presentation on how much you can make and maybe 10% on what they're selling (the other 10% is lost to heat).
Luxury brands are THE MASTERS at this. (I would not be surprised if hip hop icons got some kind of commission/free clothing from high-falutin haute fashion brands; luxury setting is all they do!)
They seem cheesy, but people eat stories up (and, consequently, buy product) like no tomorrow.
It might take a while to catch up to someone who has been practicing a skill like that all their life, but that's true of anything.
I know some salespeople today, who during highschool were the most introverted, least talkative guys or girls in the world.
Their success is due to practice both in work (entry level sales jobs require non-stop talking for 8+ hours per day, as opposed to entry-level engineering where there are 4+ hours of quiet time), and outside of work (e.g. debate teams, tea clubs, book clubs, meetups, networking events, speech therapists, etc.)
:)
It really comes down to making people (a) think that your shit (mostly YOU) will help them with their problems and (b) feel confident in trusting you.
As for comp: Most people in sales jobs go through ups and downs in their annual comp largely because most of it comes from commission and bonus. You could make >$1M one year and <$100k the next. Technical sales are more stable since salaries tend to be higher, but comp is still highly variable. Also, unlike engineering where one's performance criteria are somewhat superfluous, sales is a very numbers-driven job. Most have quotas they need to hit with bonuses for every level above that. Not hitting your quota == not having a job next month/year in some places.
at the right company with the right compensation structure, a handful of $100M+ deals can set you up for a LONG time