Dependent as companies are for top-line growth on the selection, assessment and development of their sales people, they naturally invest a good deal of time, budget and mental energy in the process. Many of our clients consider the churn of sales people – and the consequent distraction of replacing them – to be a major inhibitor of overall success. Most use a combination of interviews and psychometric instruments in the recruitment process and yet ceaselessly confront hiring misfires. How, they ask us, did the accomplished candidate that oozed self-belief at interview – and had excellent references – change overnight into a nervous wreck that simply couldn’t sell?
What makes a great sales person? Is it really all about a genetic hand dealt at birth? If so, how can we identify such people? And if not, how can people acquire the skills and behaviours of high performance sales people?