I spoke to a sales candidate this week who took a couple days to get back to me after completing a phone interview last week. Her comments were almost unbelievable. The one that caught me most off guard was a statement that the General Manager of the company “clearly didn’t know a thing about sales.” This statement was not true, but even if it was, that is not something to blurt out in a follow-up discussion. She was a strong candidate who screened well, assessed well for fit to the position (with one anomaly) and phone interviewed well. In the end, she was not the right salesperson for the role.… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Is More Than 5 Things
Top five traits you gotta have to sell! The top five traits of a successful salesperson! Discover the 5 key behaviors of sales superstars! You have probably seen these amazing statements across the web. Isn’t it interesting how “5” seems to be the magic number for sales traits, behaviors or attitudes? I say that is hogwash. There are two main reasons why hiring strong salespeople is more than just these marketing-laden headlines. The Ideal Sale.Processes that focus on the salesperson without understanding the sale are flawed. The issue is simple – how company A goes to market (value proposition, market share, key competencies, etc.) is not the same as company… Read More
Continue ReadingHardwired
Each week we highlight a specific sales trait with definitions of how that trait manifests itself as a strength and a weakness. We do this for one simple reason – there are aspects of selling that can’t be taught. In a sense, certain traits are hardwired into top-performing salespeople. And the only way to truly measure these traits is to use objective assessments. An adept interviewer is able to ask insightful questions and drill down on the candidate’s responses to get to some understanding of the truth. Rarely is it objective truth. The information is presented by the candidate in the best possible light to the candidate. This approach should always be… Read More
Continue ReadingKnow What You Need
I’ve commented on this before, but please don’t do this. From an ad I read this morning: Customer Service / Sales Representative Responsibilities will include the development of new prospect business in addition to growing the current company House Account business through assisting customers with their orders from the quotes stage through the delivery / billing stage. These are two vastly different skill sets. There are very few people who are good at both customer service and new sales development. Odds are you are not going to find a person with this skill set. Typically, candidates will be strong at one to the detriment of the other. The better approach… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Self-Discipline
Remote offices are the rage amongst a geographically dispersed sales force. Yet, this distributed structure requires salespeople who have the self-discipline to work effectively on their own. The only method to measure this trait when hiring is to assess. Self Discipline And Sense of DutyThis is a measure of the strength one has in the norms with which they rule their own conduct. They feel a need to be consistent and true to themselves in their actions. It is the compulsion that one feels to be true to the ideals they have set for themselves. A salesperson with strength in this trait will have an inner strength which enables them to… Read More
Continue ReadingWhat Are You Afraid Of?
The Hammer’s recent post, The Trick to Talent Upgrades, brings up a touchy subject for some sales managers. What if the talent upgrade includes people with more experience or with seemingly superior skills to those of the sales manager? If I upgrade the talent I manage, where does that leave me? Unfortunately, these types of scenarios make our role rather difficult. We have encountered more than a few instances where these situations have derailed strong candidates. This derailment has happened despite the sales manager’s stated goal of upgrading the skills and experience of the sales force. In these types of situations, I find it helpful to make myself go through… Read More
Continue ReadingResults-based Work
From Seth Godin’s post Who should you hire? There is a fundamental shift in rules from manual-based work (where you follow instructions and an increase in productivity means doing the steps faster) to project-based work (where the instructions are unknown, and visualizing outcomes and then getting things done is what counts.) And yet, we’re still trying to hire people who have shown an ability to follow instructions. A great point from him especially in terms of hiring strong salespeople. “Project-based work” has been more common in sales since salespeople tend to have some freedom, or latitude, to achieve results. Sales is typically the easiest position to measure success. If a… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Conceptual Thinking
Complex selling requires salespeople to have a long-term perspective that they incorporate into their short-term tactics. This trait can be measured in candidates and existing employees. Conceptual Thinking The ability to identify and evaluate resources while planning for their utilization throughout the execution of comprehensive, long-range plans. This trait is much more abstract than concrete organization; it deals with the ability to allocate resources in a mental scenario and accurately visualize outcomes. A salesperson with strength in this trait can mentally role-play the execution of the long-range projection and make accurate predictions concerning the possible outcomes. A salesperson with weakness in this trait may have difficulty clearly seeing such a mental scenario, thus tending to… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Whole Truth In An Ad
This excerpt is from a sales ad for an entry-level salesperson (my redaction): In other words, this position is a perfect fit for an ‘up-and-comer’ who is looking to be a key contributor to a high-growth organization that is helping to define the ______ future. Beyond your ‘role,’ you will be an integral part of an overall pioneering team and can be called upon, along with everyone else, to shuttle out-of-town visitors to airports, take out trash, do dishes, whip up hot cocoa for guests, or chase down the FedEx truck to take just one last package. You name it, if it moves the enterprise forward, you’ll likely be called… Read More
Continue ReadingHard-Working Gen Xers
Finally, some positive press for a slightly overlooked generation. From Foxnews.com’s Research Shows Generation Xers Get a Bum Rap, But They’re No Bums: The new 30-somethings do face some challenges that others didn’t. They’re making less than their parents were at the same age. According to U.S. Census estimates, the median income for men between 25 and 34 in 2005 was $31,161. In 1975, adjusted for inflation, it was $35,296. The comparable data for female workers was $22,815 in 2005 and $16,247 in 1975. And, they have much bigger bills. It’s not just the school loans, it’s the generally bigger lifestyle that hurts their bottom line. Think about the computer,… Read More
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