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 ReadingSalespeople – Born Or Made?
The nature vs. nurture debate is one for which I am most intrigued. My Bachelor’s degree is in psychology and this topic was a popular debate topic in my courses. Yesterday I came across this article from CNNMoney.com – Are entrepreneurs born or made? As I look at the stats, I tend to interpret the result as saying entrepreneurs are made: Shane and his fellow researchers compared the entrepreneurial activity of 870 pairs of identical twins — who share 100% of their genes — and 857 pairs of same-sex fraternal twins — who share 50% — to see how much of entrepreneurial behavior is genetic and how much is environmental.… Read More
Continue ReadingQ Is For Qualifying Questions
I come across this often – a company wants to hire a superstar salesperson and the hiring manager’s first instinct is to find a loquacious talker. Perhaps you have seen this approach too? Clearly no readers of the Hire Sense would administer this approach in their hiring. Right? Ok, maybe not. The point is that smooth talkers are not categorically the best salespeople. I am appreciative of good communicators, but being good at talking is the lesser part of communication. Being an active listener is more important. This fact is often overlooked in sales hiring. The reason this ability is important is that is supports the foundation of successful selling… Read More
Continue ReadingPersuasion Through Scarcity And Fear Of Loss
I was a psych major in college which seemed to be the perfect preparation for a sales career. I believe it was. To this day I am still intrigued by the psychology of selling which could truly be described as persuasion. That background helps explain why I found this ManageSmarter.com article completely gripping – Mastering the Psychology of Persuasion. You will have to read the entire article to appreciate the depth of it, but let me pull out a couple of points. First one of the set-up questions: • Are left-handed people more prone to some mental illnesses, accidents, or seeking positions of power? And from later in the article:… Read More
Continue ReadingStorytellers
This sales-focused article from the Salesopedia.com website discusses the power of telling stories when selling: Think about it: If you were in the audience for another sales person’s sales presentation, which kind would you rather listen to: one in which the presenter simply recited a list of features and benefits, facts and statistics, or one that included a stimulating, engaging, riveting, or inspiring story about how you helped another customer solve a problem similar to the one with which you’ve been wrestling, or achieved an outcome you’re looking to achieve? Which would move you, and which would bore you? Which would be memorable, and which would be forgettable? Stories are… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Little r Relationship
SellingPower.com offers up a spot-on short article about maintaining customer relationships in this economy. The pressure on salespeople is extremely high right now in two regards – there are limited opportunities to close new business and the business world continues its radical information shift thanks to the Internet. First off, companies have slowed down their purchasing, but they are still purchasing. I think this fact gets lost in the doom-and-gloom reporting that saturates our senses. The tactical truth is that salespeople are going to have to unhook business from their competition to increase their sales. Many order-taking salespeople will fail miserably in this endeavor. Second, prospects are far more informed… Read More
Continue ReadingLevers
A lever is “an inducing or compelling force.” Selling in a down economy is best handled through the use of levers. I recently discovered a lever with a material that has certain properties and uses that are not offered by the market leader in this space. The market leader has such a dominant position that most prospects are unaware of the alternate option. In talking to customers and prospects, the lever became quite obvious. Of course, discovering a lever is one thing, defining it within the marketplace is another. The work that now must occur is to translate the lever into the prospect’s world. Brevity is key. Real-world application is… Read More
Continue ReadingSalespeople With Emotional Needs
One of the reasons we are so adamant about assessing sales candidates is to know what motivates and rewards the person. Once identified, these factors can be explored during a face-to-face interview. There is one reward that requires an in-depth discussion with any sales candidate who possesses it – Status & Recognition. This salesperson is rewarded by prestige, social acknowledgement and tangible trophies. Let me be clear – this is a strong reward structure for a salesperson. However, when it is over-amplified, it becomes a detriment. I have a friend in sales who has this issue. He is incredibly knowledgeable about his complex product line. He speaks about it on… Read More
Continue ReadingPersuasive Tips
Persuasion is a key ability of any successful salespeople. Think of the worst car salesperson or door-to-door salesperson you have encountered and you will know why this ability is so critical to success. CNNMoney.com’s article – How persuasive are you? – interviews an individual who runs the Persuasion Institute who brought up this fine point: Let’s take, for instance, how we handle objections, whether from a customer or some other audience, such as a boss we’re asking for a raise. Early on in life, we learn to perceive objections as opposition, so we get defensive. An unskilled persuader, often without realizing it, will show tension, uneasiness, or irritation when someone… Read More
Continue ReadingFictitious Selling
Ok, the title is a bit of a minomer. The reference is to a Kelley Robertson post on the S&MM SoundOff blog. He provides 3 sales tips based on a fiction writer’s boot camp he recently attended. Here is an abridged version of those tips (my bold): Start with a hook. The best novels usually start with a great hook. The more compelling your opening statement or question, the greater the likelihood your prospect will listen to the rest of your message. Show, don’t tell. Showing characters in action instead of telling the reader what the characters are doing creates a more interesting story. Show the results your prospects can… Read More
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