Hire a Winner




Hiring a Winner Behaviors, not traits, set top performers apart in sales
	Question: I’d like to hire some new salespeople. What traits should I look for if I want to hire top performers? Answer: You probably have some opinions about what traits may make a good salesperson. And, your opinions are probably based on what you value most about people who sell to you. When evaluating top performing salespeople, don't concentrate on traits as much as behaviors. I'll address that in just a minute. First and foremost you should ask yourself what type of person you need to support your organization's plan for growth. Do you have a majority of well-established accounts that you need nurtured? If so, you would do well by hiring a soft-spoken amiable type salesperson who are typically good at servicing and growing accounts. Or, is your market such that you need to develop new business outside of your existing account base? If so, you would benefit by hiring a salesperson who is an outgoing, direct, self-starter. Once you determine the “traits” that you need, then you can start your interviewing process. Make sure you ask questions that will reveal what the salesperson has done (behavior) instead of what they know they should do. You may even consider behavioral testing if you are unsure about the validity of a candidates claims. Now, regarding common behaviors. When we develop comprehensive sales training curriculums for companies we start by assessing the behaviors of their top performers. After years of documenting these behaviors, we have benchmarked several behaviors that are common among top performing salespeople regardless of industry. Here are some of the most common behaviors that we found consistent among top performing salespeople: They consider customer satisfaction a minimum level of performance — Assume that the custoemr has agreed to make the purchase and is satisfied with the terms of the sale. The average salesperson would make sure that nothing changes negatively. The top performer however attempts to improve the transaction to the point that they delight the customer and exceed their expectations. As one top performer put it, "I want them so delighted with my total package that they will never question who they will come to for their next purchase."
		They develop multiple relationships within the companies that they serve — Good and even above average salespeople develop relationships with multiple influencers. Top performers go beyond that to know as many people as possible within their accounts. Top performers rarely lose an account because of buyouts, promotions, etc. They read their customers and adjust their approach & presentations accordingly — Many salespeople have been trained in behavioral sciences, yet few apply the concepts consistently. Top performers know the behavioral and communication styles of all of their custoemrs and utilize the information strategically in their communication. They focus on understanding the customer's business before making specific recommendations — In this day of consultative selling, there are still far too many salespeople who approach their accounts with their sales goal in mind. Top performers realize that if they focus on helping their customers achieve their goals, they'll accomplish theirs as well. They are persistent in pursuing new potential business — Most of us know that so-so salespeople give up after the first or second sales attempt. Very good salespeople hang in there, often getting the sale after the fourth or fifth attempt. Top performers identify who will do business with them in advance and never give up on them. The key is identifying the right type of business and then positioning for that business. Top performers treat potential accounts as if they are already doing business with them. They work odd hours — This varies by type of industry. Top performers realize that selling is not an 8-5 job. And, it's not a matter of putting in long hours for the sake of long hours. Top salespeople position themselves to be in front of their customers when they are most accessible. For instance, we work with a lot of agricultural salespeople. Many of the top performers in that industry visit their customers at five in the morning when they are milking cows and before they hit the fields. They thrive on competition — In our research we have found that most average salespeople shy away from accounts that are dominated by the competition. Top performers actively pursue competitive accounts as a way of gaining market share and dominating the competition.

TOP performers: • Attempt to improve the transaction to the point that they delight the customer and exceed expectations. • Rarely lose an account because of buyouts, promotions, etc. • Know the behavioral and communication styles of all of their customers and utilize the information strategically in their communication. • Realize that if they focus on helping their customers achieve their goals, they will accomplish theirs as well. • Treat potential accounts as if they are already doing business with them. • Position themselves to be in front of their customers when they are most accessible. • Actively pursue competitive accounts as a way of gaining market share and dominating the competition.

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