8 Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring Your Next Salesperson

Sales Personality Personality Test

When it comes to assessing a candidate's fit for sales, one size definitely does not fit all. Traits like assertiveness, criticism tolerance (ability to take a no), and resilience may be good enough to have when "getting past the gatekeeper"and "closing a sale" are the two most critical skills required. But selling complex products or differentiating a company's services from its competitors require consultative and relationship selling skills that many salespeople do not have. For example, transactional sales, especially those based on primarily on price, depend upon the ability to get people to accept your call, negotiate the best deal, and close quickly. More complex selling opportunities require extensive product knowledge, broad … [Read more...]

Sales Personality Traits Draw A Fine Line Between Success and Failure

Sales Personality Personality Test

Not all salespeople are successful. Given the same experience and education, why do some salespeople succeed where others fail? Is it motivation? Product knowledge? Evidence suggests that key personality traits directly influence a top performers' selling style and ultimately their success. What follows is a list of my findings after reviewing thousands of sales personality tests and post-hire discussions with clients. Collaborative - A fine line exists between confidence and bravado, ambition and selfishness. Ego and greed are two sales personality traits that don't mix well with clients. While there is no question that the salesperson who believes "that second place is the first place for losers" can be successful, that's a tough … [Read more...]

More Sales, Lower Turnover? Hire Higher Cognitive Abilities.

Cognitive Abilities

Ask an employer to name one characteristic that makes one employee stand out above all others and he'll likely say attitude, work ethic, or team player. Unfortunately up until now, few of these employers could really prove what traits and attitude differentiated employees that positively impacted the bottom line from those that didn't. But an article in this month's issue of HR Magazine cited how Bon-Ton, a department store chain, helped identify specific traits of candidates that could sell more per hour and reduce turnover. Most importantly, the result allowed them to do both. Up to this point, many HR managers and subsequently their employers were satisfied to accomplish one or the other. In today's world, a top performing salesperson … [Read more...]