This week we focus on a trait that is strongly needed in a team-based sale. The salesperson needs to be the lead on a team-based sale, but they have to have the ability to let the other team members do their part. If the salesperson struggles in this area, they will be less efficient and more dictatorial in their interaction. A bad mix in today’s market. Surrendering ControlThe ability of a salesperson to surrender control of a given situation, or outcome, to another person or group of people. The ability to be comfortable in a situation where a significant portion of the responsibility for achieving a goal lies in the… Read More
Continue ReadingHappy Independence Day!
From the JustSell.com guys: In July 1776, 2.5 million people lived in the newly independent United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2007, the nation’s population has grown to 302 million, and to celebrate Independence Day this year, the National Retail Federation reports that consumers will: enjoy a BBQ, cookout or picnic (61.1%) watch fireworks or attend another community celebration (42.5%) purchase patriotic merchandise (17.3%) travel or go on vacation (11.3%) attend a parade (9.7%) Have a Happy and Safe Fourth from all of us at Select Metrix!
Continue ReadingAttract The Best And The Brightest
Here’s a good read from BusinessWeek.com titled Engaging Employees. Retaining top employees has always been a business priority, but the Millenials/Gen Y will take this management skill to a new level. That generation is looking for a strong bond with their manager and will gravitate towards managers who possess this ability. And here is a clear description of why attracting and retaining top talent is mission critical: Today’s business world is characterized by globalization, increasing competition, an ever-accelerating pace of change, an overabundance of information, a never-ending technology revolution, a growing number of mergers and acquisitions, layoffs, and a declining talent pool. In this chaotic world, a business can only survive… Read More
Continue ReadingSummer Is Here – Ads Are Down
From Inc.com’s Online Job Ads Down: The number of new job ads posted online fell by 94,000 to 4,280,400 in June, the Conference Board reported on Monday. Despite the decline, online job ads were up 24 percent in the past 12 months, the report said. One word – summer. The 12 month numbers certainly show a significant shift towards online job boards which is either indicative of increased overall hiring and/or a move away from newspaper classifieds.
Continue ReadingToo Early For References
From a sales ad I read this morning: For more information on this position or to apply please forward your resume and a list of references to… The ad is far too early for references and, quite frankly, I would be a bit surprised if any candidate provided references when simply responding to the ad. References are highly valued by candidates and no matter what they say, a reference check is always an interruption to the reference person’s day. Why would an applicant want to share that information without having any discussion about the position first? References are the last step in the hiring process before the offer. Do not expect… Read More
Continue ReadingLazy Ad Writing
First let me say, I read through a business development job ad today that was fairly well-written. The ad did use many second person questions – Do you enjoy closing deals…? I’m not a huge fan of that approach, but I suspect it engages the readers at some level. The part I wanted to call out was towards the end of the ad when the author calls out the requirements for this position: To be a successful candidate for the BDM position, you should: · Hold a Bachelor€™s Degree, preferably in Packaging · Have 8 years sales-related packaging experience First, the B.A. degree should be a preference and not a… Read More
Continue ReadingGen Y And Self-Fulfillment At Work
We work sparingly with Gen Y-level salespeople but we do track the articles regarding this generation. BusinessWeek.com offers an informative read in their article Careers: The Goods on Generation Y. The takeaway information for me: Indeed, twentysomethings don’t view work as merely a way to make a living, says Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, author of Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens through the Twenties (Oxford University Press, 2004) and research professor at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. “They expect work to be a form of self-fulfillment€”they don’t want to take a job that pays well but is boring or annoying,” he says. Money is important to twentysomethings, he… Read More
Continue ReadingSnap Judgments Rule The World
I thought this was interesting from the StarTribune’s Old-Time Job Search: In 1937, Elmer Wheeler published the advertising classic, “Tested Sentences That Sell.” He wrote it after testing 105,000 word combinations on 19 million people over 10 years, to find the phrases and communications techniques that sold the most goods and services. Wheeler included a chapter on tested ways to get hired, and here’s his number one rule for getting a job: “Watch your ten-second approach. Our case histories showed that many employers judge the applicant during the first ten seconds. He catches a flash of the man’s appearance, his personality, and is or is not impressed by his first… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Ads That Include Excel
I wouldn’t recommend this tact to a sales ad: Are you the candidate we are looking for? If you are very familiar with Excel, have good organizational skills along with verbal and written communication abilities, you may just be the future (salesperson) for our growing business. Leading with Excel and organizational skills are generally not the strongest points for drawing in talented salespeople. I would recommend putting those abilities in a “helpful to have” section. Far better to focus on the abilities the salesperson will need to close business.
Continue ReadingMisguided "Hiring A Hunter" Assumptions
I just read another article about hiring sales “hunters” that was filled with simplistic tips and tricks. The article triggered a thought – there seems to be much conventional wisdom about hiring strong salespeople that permeates these articles. Unfortunately, I think the logic behind them is overly assumptive. Let’s look at some of these mythical assumptions: Sales Managers Should Always Be Interviewing Sales CandidatesThis approach sounds good in a theoretical sense but has minimal real-world application. The only sales managers who should follow this approach are ones who head up high-turnover sales departments. A sales managers’ top priority is to increase profitable revenue (with an eye on SG&A at the same… Read More
Continue Reading