From Inc.com’s article on how to screen sales candidates: It cost $400 a candidate, and the recruits took the tests online. Dolan and Kinaxis’s star salesperson took the test, too, and Opus analyzed their test scores and created a personality benchmark. Afterward, Opus discussed the results with each of the candidates to see if any of them disagreed with the assessments. None did. “They’re spooky accurate,” Dolan says. We use spooky accurate assessments for all of our sales candidates. Assessing sales candidates is one of the best ways to cut through the veneer and see what they are truly made of. This article places a priority on personality assessments which… Read More
Continue ReadingHiring Without Knowledge
Selling Power’s Hiring One of the Team focuses on finding superstar salespeople that will fit into your existing team. Clearly that is the goal for all sales hiring and this article supplies some sound advice. Other parts of it I will leave to your judgment. Here is a quote I enjoyed (emphasis mine): “Hire and promote first on the basis of integrity; second, motivation; third, capacity; fourth, understanding; fifth, knowledge; and last and least, experience. Without integrity, motivation is dangerous; without motivation, capacity is impotent; without capacity, understanding is limited; without understanding, knowledge is meaningless; without knowledge, experience is blind. Experience is easy to provide and quickly put to good… Read More
Continue ReadingDefeatist Thoughts
Isn’t there an old sports axiom that states games are won or lost before you ever take the field? Well, at least some form of that saying. JustSell.com lists a handful of self-defeating thoughts from the sales world (email newsletter – sorry, no link). Here they are: Defeatist (accepting, expecting, or being resigned to defeat) Cynical (contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives) Vindictive (seeking revenge) Blame/ Fault (who cares? what are we going to do now?) Wishful (do what you can to influence the deal and keep moving) Self-pity (get over yourself… complain less… especially to yourself) Worrisome (it won’t help, costs time, and can drag you down) Jealous… Read More
Continue ReadingA Filtering Economy
This economy is tough for everyone but especially for salespeople. Money is tight, companies are delaying decisions and jobs are on the line. Yet, through it all sales must continue…and they do. One, well, macabre thought through this time is that this economy is a tool that separates the order takers from the closers. If you think about it, the salespeople who have rested on a strong territory, one large customer or golden leads are now having to face a prospecting situation. For some this is a nightmare of slasher movie proportions. I have seen a company’s perception of a “strong” salesperson change dramatically during similar economic times. This downturn… 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 ReadingThe True-Life Assessment
I was out all yesterday helping the medical clinic where my wife works move into a new facility. I am a wannebe geek so I moved their small computer network for them and installed a new computer for the owner. The interesting item I observed was the work ethic of the people involved. I like to say that some times you just don’t need an assessment. I think moving may be one of those times. To be blunt, moving blows no matter how you look at it. It is disruptive, tiring, laborious and messy. However, one thing you can clearly observe is the work ethic of a person. At one… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Experience Myth
As you have probably ascertained, we are strong proponents of hiring for ability/potential that matches your sales as opposed to tenured experience in your industry. Naturally, this article – The Myth of Experience – from Managesmarter.com is right up our alley. Please allow me to reference an analogy from later in the article: Don’t fall into the myth of relying upon experience. Instead look for potential. That’s why there is always an image of flowers on a package of seeds. We don’t really care what the seeds look like. We want to know what they will become. I like that characterization even though I am not one to use “potential”…I… Read More
Continue ReadingSeparation Clarity
Good article here from Salesopedia.com titled Reject Me, Please. Handling rejection just may be the most important trait of any strong salesperson. Rejection is the key differentiation between sales and all other positions. Salespeople have to be able to handle this topic well. Excellent sales people realize it’s about the products and service, and not them. They may have represented the product poorly and answered questions about the services ineptly, but nonetheless, the opposition is about what’s being sold, not the seller. This ability to distinguish between the purveyor and the purveyed I call Separation Clarity. Well stated and I am now a fan of the phrase “separation clarity.” I… Read More
Continue ReadingLack Of Attention To Detail
Derrick wrote a series on sales traits last year which transcends sales and applies to everyone. I was catching up on my RSS reader from the Labor Day weekend and came across this perfect example to illustrate the lack of Attention to Detail. According to this post from US News & World Report, employees of media agency Carat learned about a planned layoff by management through an email. Because someone did not have an abundance of the attention to detail trait, an email meant strictly for management accidentally went out to everyone in the company. This is why we stress the use of assessments to “x-ray” a person’s hidden abilities and talents, or lack thereof. Unfortunately… 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
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