This may sound like a fine delineation, but I thought it was rather profound. One of our customers mentioned that he had people who could “do” certain tasks in a hiring process. However, these people were not able to provide “help” in the hiring process. That may sound like he is splitting hairs, but I find that point to be extremely important. One of the struggles in assisting companies in their hiring process is that most companies, unless quite large, tend to hire on a need basis. This means they do not spend their entire time hiring. In fact, it often is pushed into the margins of their day. Other… Read More
Continue ReadingUncommon Sense
I’ve been swamped of late with sales candidate assessments for different customers and have encountered an important trait – common sense. This is a broad topic, but we use it in a fairly defined manner – using common sense. We actually measure this aptitude in one of our assessments which often leads to rather pointed discussions…especially when a candidate has a low score in this area. But what of it? Our definition utilizes speaks to common sense being more of a natural reflex as opposed to a logical thinking process. I’m not talking about intuition but rather the practical thinking in regards to seeing the world. Does that make sense? … Read More
Continue ReadingManagement Mental Short Cuts
I’m back in my psych book this morning looking for a specific answer to how managers get stuck on “bad” instances from otherwise strong performing salespeople. I’ve seen this effect with some sales managers who have a generally sour impression of a salesperson who seems to be doing well in the role. When I pursue the topic with the manager, I typically hear of anecdotal stories with what seems to be innocuous outcomes. However, the sales manager is still upset by situation. Here is what I discovered in the test book – availability heuristic. Availability heuristic is basically this – making judgments based on how easily instances come to mind. … Read More
Continue ReadingA Great Headline
From Forbes.com: How To Handle Post-Recession Job Stress Post-Recession? I think most people are still dealing with Recession Job Stress. It gets worse: The worst of the waves of layoffs may be over, but countless American workers who still have their jobs are unhappy at them, overloaded with increased responsibilities, short of colleagues to share the burden, and unsure where they can turn to look for something better. Few people got raises last year–many took pay cuts–and it’s not looking like pay hikes will come anytime soon. Again, this viewpoint strikes me as seriously off target. I equate this type of unhappiness to people who complain that their ice cream… Read More
Continue ReadingSelling Advice From A Badger
No, not a Wisconsin graduate, an actual badger. JustSell.com has the video on their site. The setup is this – the badger is an “old-school” car salesman who badgers his prospects. The 30 second ads are for a car dealership. It is quirky, but I love quirky and got a real kick out of them. Here is a taste: Badger Sales Rep
Continue ReadingA Secondary Effect Of The Recession
Most people agree that there will be a demand for workers as soon as we start the recovery process (no, I do not subscribe to the idea that the recession ended in June of 2009). Companies are running in a most efficient manner right now due to the fact that they had to cut staff to the bone. Growth/expansion will require an expansion of most company’s workforces. The supply of workers will be limited due to the Baby Boomer retirements and the great decrease in workers in Gen X. Along with this shortage comes another important limitation in the workforce. From the Herman Trend’s weekly email (emphasis mine): “Unfortunately, with… Read More
Continue ReadingROE Over ROI
Here is a somewhat ethereal concept I have been encountering in this present economy. It starts with this – return on investment (ROI). ROI has been the backbone of sales since time immortal. This is the basis of sales in that customers pay the money to receive the solution. As long as the customer views the return on their investment as greater than the investment, they will make the purchase (generally speaking). The top-performing salespeople possess this motivation pattern (called Utilitarian). They view prospects in terms of ROI – how much return ($) will I receive if I invest time to close them. This principle has changed in the present… Read More
Continue ReadingChipotle Rewards And Retention
Retention does not seem to be a topic of great concern in this present economy. However, the economy will turn and hiring will accelerate. When this happens (hopefully sooner rather than later), retention will become a key topic for many companies. In a surprising story, CNNMoney.com provides a brief description of a unique approach Chipotle uses: Find incentives that work. The best Chipotle restaurant managers get the title “restaurateur” and a $10,000 bonus for each person they hire who starts as crew and goes on to become a manager. We have 170 restaurateurs out of 1,000 managers, and the turnover rate among them is very low. Two things that work… Read More
Continue ReadingImpression Management
I am a psych major. As my mother likes to say, “I’ve never met a psychologist who didn’t need their own services.” Although I am not a psychologist, I get the gist of her commentary. In that vein, I was revisiting some of my antiquated text books in search of a professional explanation for why “bad” sales candidates can often smoke good interviewers. I give you self-presentation or impression management. The definition from Social Psychology-Understanding Human Interaction by Baron and Byrne: …they flatter others, pretend to agree with them about various issues, or feign great interest in what they are saying – all in an attempt to create a favorable… Read More
Continue ReadingBashing Millennials
Fast Company has an entertaining article written by a CEO of a company that employs almost all Millennials. The article is well worth the read, but let me give you a taste of it: Lazy. Entitled. Fickle. Freighted with their own inscrutable agendas. These are the kinds of things people say about cats — and millennials. For today’s managers, the generation born after 1980 is a favorite punching bag. It’s not hard to see why, given that they’re the generation of Lindsay Lohan, Jersey Shore, and flip-flops as appropriate office footwear. I have been drawn in by these exact topics and I’m an Xer. But further on in the article… Read More
Continue Reading