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 ReadingSales Traits Series – Quality Orientation
Quality of standards is an important aspect of successful selling. A salesperson who does not ensure quality has a tendency to appear inaccurate, or to the extreme – sloppy. Since salespeople are initially the face of the company, this quality disconnect can present a poor view of the company’s quality as a whole. Quality OrientationThis trait is a measure of a salesperson€™s affinity for seeing details, grading them against a preset standard (internal or external) and identifying flaws. This is directly related to a person€™s preference for paying attention to detail. Whereas attention to detail is more a measure of how capable a person is to appropriately see detail, this capacity… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Decision Making
This week we look at an insightful trait that has become more important for salespeople in today’s market. Sales requires a certain “feel” for a situation even though all of the data is not obvious. You could call this trait sales intuition. Decision MakingThe ability to accurately compile intuitive perceptions about a situation into a decision or action. This ability allows one to be €œintuitional€ as opposed to intellectual (requiring data and logical reasoning) in effective decision making. This capacity requires a good deal of understanding of people, the outside world and the ability to visualize the whole picture in a mental scenario. A salesperson with strength in this trait will… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Sense of Self
This trait is one to measure in all salespeople since it reveals much of how they approach prospects, how they handle rejection and how they hold up under stress. Sense of SelfThe ability of a salesperson to realize and appreciate their own unique self-worth. They base these feelings on internal factors as opposed to external ones. This internal feeling of value allows them to appreciate themselves based on who they know themselves to be on the inside. They do not judge themselves based solely on what they do, what role they occupy or what success they attain. This capacity could also be considered the level of €œself acceptance.€ A salesperson with strength… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Self-Assessment
This week we explore an important aspect of a salesperson’s psyche. If you are a sales manager, this trait will explain your salesperson’s view of himself and how best to manage to that view. Self AssessmentThe ability to practically and objectively identify one€™s personal management strengths and weaknesses. This is the ability of a salesperson to take the skills and techniques that they have gained in evaluating external situations and apply them to evaluating their own performance and abilities. A salesperson with strength in this area is capable of accurately evaluating his or her own strengths and weaknesses. They see themselves clearly. A weakness in this area indicates a salesperson who… 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 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 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 ReadingSales Traits Series – Intuitive Decision Making
Ok, we’ll approach this week’s trait cautiously since it approaches some forms of gut-level decision-making. Strong selling requires salespeople who do not guess or assume. Rather, they qualify by asking the right questions and listening to the answers. But let’s face it, there is a bit of artistry to being a good salesperson. Much of that artistry comes from having the ability to make the right decision even when all of the data is not available. Intuitive Decision Making The ability to accurately compile intuitive perceptions about a situation into a decision or action. This ability allows one to be €œintuitional€ as opposed to intellectual (requiring data and logical reasoning)… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Leading Others
This week’s trait focuses on an important sales manager trait. The aptitude to lead others works in concert with many other traits and motivations, but the natural ability to lead can be identified and measured through our assessments. Leading OthersThe ability to organize and motivate salespeople to get things accomplished where everyone feels a sense of order and direction. Effective leadership depends on a fine mixture of capacities that must match the environment in which the sales manager is asked to perform. Regardless of that mixture, every leader must be able to gain the trust of others and be able to solve problems among/for the group. A sales manager with strength… Read More
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