This week’s focus is on the ability of a salesperson to connect with their prospect. Building rapport is first step in starting an effective qualifying discussion with a prospect. Of course, some salespeople can only build rapport – we call them schmoozers. Nonetheless, an strong salesperson with this trait is incredibly effective with new prospects. Relating to OthersThis trait coordinates personal insights and knowledge of others into effective actions. It includes the ability to make use of accurate interpersonal skills in interacting with others. A salesperson with strength in this trait is able to establish a good rapport with others including a feeling of comfort between both parties. A weakness in this area… Read More
Continue ReadingSmall Company Incentive Programs
Good article here from Selling Power’s Incentives newsletter – Big Motivation at Small Companies. The topic is how to run effective incentive campaigns when you aren’t a Fortune 500 company. Still, as a recent article in Incentive Magazine points out, smaller companies do enjoy a few incentives-related benefits compared with their larger counterparts. For one, with most of the company€™s employees occupying the same workspace, communicating with the entire team at the same time poses few logistical problems. Also, this sort of intimacy means that whoever is planning the rewards will likely have a better idea what specific prizes will motivate the targeted participants. Plus, as the article points out,… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Emotional Control
Sales can be an emotional roller coaster. Sales can be frustrating and anger-inducing. Conversely, sales can be joyful and exciting. But what about salespeople who allow these emotions to rule their behavior? Successful selling requires poise in the midst of an emotionally-charged environment. This week we look at one of the top 10 traits for sales success. Emotional ControlThis is the ability of a salesperson to maintain rational and objective actions when experiencing strong internal emotions. This trait measures one€™s ability to control their own internal emotions and prevent them from affecting their actions, logic, objectivity, etc. Emotional Control deals with keeping internal emotions in instead of letting them get the better of the salesperson. A salesperson… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Proactive Thinking
This week we look at a trait that is important when assessing sales candidates for complex, long sales cycle positions. Proactive or reactive is the difference in this highly valued sales trait. Proactive ThinkingThe ability of a salesperson to evaluate future implications of current decisions and actions. This would include examining the long-range effects of a decision. The ability to mentally create the scenarios and outcomes of situations that could develop from decisions or plans of action. A salesperson with strength in this capacity will tend to evaluate current situations, needs and actions based on how they will change in the future. A salesperson with weakness in this area will tend to… Read More
Continue ReadingJust Getting Started
The decision has been made. The offer has been extended. The offer has been accepted, and the start date is just around the corner. The “newbie” is joining the sales team. Now what? That can be a bit of a scary question for the sales manager responsible for the success of a new hire. Hiring a candidate that has been and properly assessed, profiled, interviewed and evaluated is an excellent foundation for success. But hold on. It’s just the start to the process. As you might guess, an industry term to address these situations has already been crafted . “Onboarding” is the most commonly used term to reference the plan… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Balanced Decision Making
This week we look at a trait that is beneficial to both salespeople and sales managers. The ability to stay balanced in forming decisions is integral to sales success. Salespeople who can look at the entire opportunity and properly weight the pieces before pursuing it are the most successful. Salespeople who can’t often chase the proverbial rabbit down the hole. Balanced Decision Making This trait involves the ability to be objective and fairly evaluate the different aspects (people and other) of a situation. This ability includes making an ethical decision that takes into account all aspects and components. It is the ability to maintain a balance between the needs of… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Management Fear Factor
“Let’s be clear, I’m not going to take the assessments.” That was part of a conversation I had with a sales manager recently. It is surprising how often I have this discussion – either overtly or indirectly. Sales managers are not fans of taking our assessments even though the assessments provide strategic insight into growing themselves and their team. One cannot successfully look at a team – any team – without the context of the team’s leader. In order to understand the sales team, we must understand the sales manager. This disdain for our sales management assessment begs the question, why do they dislike the assessments? My thought is simply… Read More
Continue ReadingSoft Skills Make The Business Person
Interesting article from the Ottawa Business Journal titled The hard facts about soft skills. The premise: “The things that students are missing out on when the certificates are handed out are lessons in soft skills that actually make a business person who they are. The technological skills are relatively easy to learn, but the soft skills are what make you a business leader,” said Barry Gander, vice president of CATA and author of Success. Gander makes an excellent point especially in regards to recent business school grads. Technical skills are difficult to differentiate since they appear to be a commodity. Soft skills are certainly the more elusive traits to locate… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Integrative Ability
This week’s trait is one we bandy about here at Select Metrix often regarding salespeople. This trait is important in all sales but especially in complex selling environments. Pay special attention to the weakness description – it is a common issue we encounter amongst salespeople struggling in a complex sale. Integrative Ability The ability to evaluate what to do is also the ability to identify the elements of a problem situation and understand which components are critical. Being able to clearly see the component dimensions of a situation gives a person the ability to see different types of situation structures. Thereby, they are able to see different types of problem… Read More
Continue Reading“They Are Not Motivated”
I had lunch yesterday with a friend of mine who is a sales manager for a technology company. As is often the case, we started talking about some of the issues he is seeing with his team. We also discussed another one of our friends who is a sales VP and the problems he is having with his large sales team. Two managers, same problem – the salespeople are not motivated. That is it in a nutshell. The salespeople are capable and know their product, but they do not appear to be highly motivated nor successful. Their sales are average at best, but not remarkable. Mediocrity is a sales neutralizer.… Read More
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