Out of touch, or out of their minds? Maybe both
In a recent survey conducted by a management and human resources consulting firm, 365 CEOs and sales management executives were asked: “What three key factors separate high performing sales professionals from moderate to low-performing professionals?”
Both CEOs and C-level sales executives (all people who don’t sell, but rely on their salespeople to produce sales so that they can get paid), ranked “self discipline/motivation” as the most important.
Next in line were, “customer knowledge,” “innate talent/personality,” and “product knowledge.” Farther down the list were “experience” and “teamwork skills.”
These are qualities of corporate greed, not value, service, or help—the three things that customers require to give business and maintain loyalty.
MAJOR DUH: When survey companies ask questions of people, why don’t they ask the people actually doing the work?
I’m a writer, but I’m also a salesman. I make sales and sales calls every day. You want the most important factors of a high-performing sales pro? Let me give you a realistic list of success characteristics.
1. Perpetual, consistent, positive attitude and enthusiasm. It’s Rule No. 1 for facing the customer, the obstacles, the competition or the economy. And for facing yourself.
2. Quadruple self-belief. Unwavering belief in your company, unwavering belief in your product, AND unwavering belief in yourself are the first three rules. But fourth is the most critical of the self-beliefs. You MUST believe that the customer is better off having purchased from you.
3. Use of creativity. Creativity to present ideas in favor of the customer, and to differentiate yourself from the competition.
4. Ability to give and prove value. To prove the value of your product or service, and your ability to give value beyond the sale to the prospect so you can earn the order, the reorder, and the loyalty.
5. Ability to promote and position. Effective use of the Internet to blog, e-zine, utilize social media, and achieve a Google top ranking, so your customers and prospects will perceive you as a value provider and a leader in your field.
6. Exciting, compelling presentation skills. Not just solid communication skills, but superior questioning skills, listening skills, and a sense of humor. The innate ability to engage and capture the imagination (and the wallet) of customers and prospects.
7. Ability to prove your value and claims through the testimony of others. Testimonials sell where salespeople can’t. The best sale pros use video testimonials to support, affirm, and prove their claims. But, the reality is, you don’t get testimonials, you earn them. Same with referrals. Note well: If you’re looking for proof that you are “top-performing,” testimonials and referrals are a report card.
8. Ability to create an atmosphere where people want to BUY (because they hate being SOLD). This is done by engaging and asking; not presenting and telling.
9. Ability to build a relationship, not hunt or farm. I wonder if the executives talking about the qualities of great salespeople are the same ones dividing their salespeople into “hunters” and “farmers.” Great salespeople are relationship-builders who provide value and help their customers win. These are the same head-in-the-sand executives who can’t open their laptops, and forbid their people to use Facebook, individual Web sites, and blogs. Advice: If this is your situation, find your way to the competition.
10. Unyielding personal values and ethics. Great people have great values and great ethics. Interest-ing that 365 CEOs and executives don’t deem them in the Top 10.
10.5 The personal desire to excel and be their best. This is a de-sired quality of every sales professional, but the best salespeople have mastered
the 10 other elements. And the key is, all 10 must be mastered for this quality to manifest itself.
There is no prize in sales for second place. It’s win or nothing. The masters know this, and strive for, fight for, that slight edge.
And as for the next poll taken, here’s a great idea for CEOs and sales executives. There’s an easy way to find out the most important factors and qualities of great salespeople: Make some of those sales calls yourself.
Really want to have some fun? Bring your marketing people along.
Return to Ingram's January 2010
Jeffrey Gitomer is author of The Little Red Book of Selling and The Little Red Book of Sales Answers.
P | 704.333.1112
E | salesman@gitomer.com