Salespeople are the face of your company to the prospect world. The salesperson’s output (emails, proposals, information) also represents your company in the market. Have you ever managed a salesperson who simply didn’t focus on the quality of his or her output? Or how about the salesperson who places a perfectionist’s expectation on a simple item? They drag out a simple item to exacting levels – even to the point of missing the opportunity. This week we break down that trait.
Meeting Standards
The ability to see and understand the standard requirements established for a job and having the commitment to meet them. This is an internal motivation which combines the capacities of quality orientation and focus on structure and order.
A salesperson with strength in this capacity will have the internal motivation to strive to meet whatever standards have been set (either by herself or someone else). She is able to focus the appropriate amount of attention to achieve these standards.
A weakness in this trait indicates the salesperson focuses either too little or too much attention to the task of achieving a standard. In the case of over-attention, the salesperson will place so much importance on meeting a standard that they may become an overbearing perfectionist in their demands of others and/or themselves. There appears very little room for error. In the case of under-attention, the salesperson does not place enough importance on this objective. They tend to miss standards in situations which are difficult or repetitive.