Is There Really a “Sales Mindset” (And If So, Can It Be Trained?)
I think it’s easier to hire an MD than it is to hire new salesmen.
Think about it. I don’t know the statistics, but I’ll bet the percentage of MD’s who fail, is nowhere near 60%.
In sales hiring, average failure rate is right around 60%. That means that 2 out of 3 of your sales hires are mediocre or worse. If you can afford to carry mediocre salespeople then, maybe it gets to 1 out of 2.
Hiring for MD’s is straightforward. You need an applicant with a degree and specific training in the specialty you’re hiring for.
In sales there’s no degree and the ones who really are kicking butt in sales already aren’t applying for a new job because they’re already making a great living. So what do you do?
Look for Sales Mindset and Then Train Them on Your Product
So what is the Sales Mindset? First it’s based on the applicant’s value’s – what is the first they think of when they get out of bed in the morning.
Top sales performers don’t wake up, open their eyes and say to themselves, “How can I serve humanity today?” — that is not a part of the Sales Mindset. Top performers are what are called “Practical Personality Styles.” They wake up and ask themselves where the money is and where the power is.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBS0OWGUidc]
Top performers (the ones that possess this Sales Mindset) have in addition to their innate ability to sell, a positive world view, a sense of stick-to-it-iveness, and the internal discipline to follow through.
Fortunately, there are profiles you can use to determine whether your applicant has the Sales Mindset. To try one of the profiles yourself follow this link and fill out the form. Sales Manager and CEO’s only, please.
