We have kicked around a pricing model in jest but it conveys a point. One part of our business is assessing candidates for many different positions but sales is our specialty. We have clients that do their own sourcing and interviewing and then use our online assessments to measure the candidate’s sales skills, aptitudes, motivations and style. That being said, here is what the Rock Star and I were discussing: If a company locates a sales candidate they feel is strong, we assess them and confirm that they are strong, the fee is $500. If a company locates a sales candidate they feel is strong, we assess them and reveal… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Sense of Timing
This week’s series stops on an important aptitude for success is selling. There is nothing more clumsy than a salesperson with bad timing. Sense Of Timing The ability to accurately evaluate what is happening in such way that their statements, decisions and actions are effective, accurate and timely. This capacity evaluates a persons ability to look at the whole picture and effectively evaluate how their immediate request or action fits into the current timeframe. A salesperson with a strong aptitude in this capacity will be able to effectively interact with others by adjusting the timing with which he/she presents ideas, suggestions, criticism or solutions. A salesperson with a weak aptitude… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Evaluating What is Said
Many people believe the preeminent ability required to be successful in sales is a good speaking ability. Verbal graces are beneficial in selling, but the ability to listen will always be more effective. Good salespeople are good listeners. Evaluating What Is Said This capacity is based on a person’s openness to people and their willingness to hear what the other person is saying – not what they think they should say, or are going to say. A salesperson with a strong aptitude in this capacity will be able to objectively evaluate feedback and hear the concerns, intentions or opinions being stated as opposed to inserting their own feelings or opinions.… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Handling Rejection
We’re going to start a short blog series on some specific sales aptitudes that predict success in a majority of sales roles. Our first one may be the most important aptitude – handling rejection. Sales is overflowing with rejection. I know because getting “no’s” was a hallmark of my sales career – nobody did it better. Getting the “yes” was my struggle (still is). Anyway, this aptitude is one we pay close attention to in all sales candidates. Sales that require many prospect contacts to reach 1 close require candidates with strong handling rejection aptitudes (an extreme example – telemarketing). Handling Rejection: The capacity to exhibit persistence and strong will… Read More
Continue ReadingDebunking the High D Myth
Many companies believe that the High D (Dominance) selling style is ideal for successful sales. First, some descriptors of this style: Direct Daring Innovative Blunt Competitive Bold Risk Taker Problem Solver Challenge-Oriented Self-Starter Inquisitive Power These traits are all admirable in a salesperson but this style, if unchecked, if a ticking time bomb. Yes, sales requires a drive, even an aggressiveness to be successful. In a previous post, I briefly discussed this style in regards to a current news story. The salesperson I mentioned could be a case study in High D sales behavior. Another experience from this salesperson. He used to visit prospects and put an intense sales push… Read More
Continue ReadingBackground Verification
In an article on Salary.com titled – Can Your Credit Report Hurt You in An Interview? An interesting statistic popped out at me – only 1 out of 5 small to medium-sized businesses run any form of background verification. 20%! I was shocked that the number is so low. Soap box time: If you are not already completing some form of background verification, start with your next hire and all subsequent hires. A true story to illustrate my point. Roughly 2 years ago, we were working with a client that was impressed with a candidate’s ability to close the deal (ask for and start the job). They liked him so… Read More
Continue ReadingProperly Using Pre-Employment Tests
CareerJournal posted this article – Six Things You Should Know About Pre-Employment Tests – earlier this week. The article is an excellent story for executive-level candidates to read closely. First, an interesting stat: Pre-employment testing is on the rise. In the past five years, 60% of companies have increased their use of workplace-behavior assessments, according to a survey of more than 500 human-resources professionals at U.S. companies… Second, a good point: “If you answer honestly and don’t get the job, it means the position wasn’t a good match for you in the first place,” he says. Third, something we can confirm in our activities: Senior executives are not exempt. In… Read More
Continue ReadingWhen to Assess Salespeople
The first key is to assess candidates before hiring. We encounter many companies that hire based on their gut feeling about a candidate. I met with a customer last week who has a VP who makes up his mind in a matter of the first 10 minutes of an inperson interview. Some people have strong empathetic abilities and can get a good read on an unknown candidate. But they make mistakes. The President of the company explained to me that although this VP was quite intuitive, he still missed on candidates which ended up costing the company. This meeting brought to my attention the need to explain when to assess… Read More
Continue ReadingAn Argument Against Assessing
Bob Rosner at the Working Wounded Blog pens a post – Professional Self-Deception – that argues against using assessments for existing employees. That caught my eye. Surprisingly, I agree with him in one regard. Self reported assessments are marginal at best. In Bob’s words: And that, in a nutshell, is why I think these tests are so bogus because they don’t pursue an objective view of your performance, but simply quantify our own self-deceptions. Exactly. I read that sentence and immediately think of the Myers-Briggs assessment. We have seen coworkers completely miss on the Myers-Briggs since they think they need to be a certain style. We only incorporate assessments that… Read More
Continue ReadingManagement Shortage
Forbes.com article – Are You Corner Office Material? (I am not) The article discusses techniques companies use to assess candidates for C-level positions. These techniques include a $12K, 1 day in-person assessment. Now that is pressure-packed role playing. The quote that caught my eye: Michael Butler, a vice president at Valtera, an HR consultancy, says companies are increasingly interested in his firm’s executive evaluations, partly because so many retiring baby boomers need to be replaced. Many firms will lose half of their senior executives in the next few years, “and they don’t even know it,” Butler says. “It’ll be a crisis in three years.”
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