Independence Day brings an assortment of things to mind—patriotism, picnics, time off, sunshine, and of course, fireworks. Nothing inspires awe like the sight of a miniature rocket spurting upward in the night sky to explode in a spectacle of brilliant blooms of fire. Unless there’s a dud in the bunch—that can make the exhibition feel a little disappointing. And a misfire? That could be disastrous.
That’s what a dud or a mishire (note the rhyme?) will do for a sales team. If you hire salespeople who don’t fit the salesperson profile, the effect on your company can range from disappointment, as opportunities are lost—to catastrophe, as customers bail on you and your profits start to fizzle out like a dud firecracker.
That’s what can happen when you’re building a sales team and you’re not getting the A players. Sales recruiting is all about knowing what makes a good salesperson and being able to identify good salesmen with a specific salesperson profile.
One essential characteristic in a salesperson profile is an element of fearlessness. There are a lot of things to be afraid of in sales—fear of rejection or alienation, fear of not achieving your goals, fear of new situations, fear of conflict, fear of hard work . . . the list goes on and on. Good salesmen actually thrive on these types of challenges—their adrenaline starts pumping and they go into overdrive.
Take a situation where there’s some serious price objection. Often there is a higher-level decision maker who could be persuaded of the value of a product, or the return on investment. There is research that shows that 90% of salesmen—the duds—find the prospect of reaching for these loftier opportunities too daunting, so they never even attempt to take their presentation any higher. In contrast, anyone who fits the salesperson profile will make an effort to access that person and make their case.
Anyone who doesn’t meet new challenges with enthusiasm is not likely to fit the salesperson profile. Good salesmen recognize their weaknesses and work to correct them. They know that their career depends on overcoming discomfort they might have with different aspects of their job, and they do whatever is necessary to overcome their deficiencies. They may not have even been aware of their existence, but a sales personality test reveals both strengths and weaknesses so that managers and salespeople can work together to create the strongest salesperson profile possible.
On the other hand, there is a limit to fearlessness, even in the salesperson profile. Good salesmen have assertiveness, but they also have sensitivity. When salesmen cross the line from persuasion to aggression, they’re “misfiring,” and customers will likely run for cover.
The Advanced Hiring System method of sales hiring has all the tools for uncovering the salesperson profile in job seekers. From recruiting applicants to sealing the deal, this process has been proven to be effective when followed precisely. Why would anyone want to waste time on a system that results in more duds and mishires, when what your company really needs is a true firecracker?
