Identifying star salespeople

It’s time to call out the elephant in the room. Star salespeople who get results don’t always do it in the right way. Why? Sales people are often recognized and rewarded for short-term gains, and this short-sightedness can create long-term pain for the client or for their own organization (just ask anyone in operations). Over time, despite initial success, this can cause the sales person or their sales organizations to derail from persistent issues that lead to client dissatisfaction and attrition, bad reputations, and sales talent turnover. Salespeople who get it right deliver exceptional results and demonstrate effective behaviors to achieve sustainable success for themselves, their teams, and their companies.

That is why it is critical to select sales people who fit the expectation of the sales role, both short-term and long-term, as well as the company’s sales process and culture. A critical component of selecting sales professionals and leaders who have the best fit is an assessment of their drivers and behaviors. Research confirms that an objective, data-based assessment is the best predictor of future performance in sales and sales leadership roles. Furthermore, as experienced salespeople seek to advance in their careers, assessments can assist them in prioritizing their development needs to ensure they continue to perform successfully.

At CMA, we look at a variety of factors and behaviors for both selecting new salespeople and developing an organization’s current salesforce. The infographic below highlights our approach to this process.

Sales Drivers

The core of the process is to gain insight into what drives or motivates a salesperson to achieve his/her goals. The assessment process helps identify the extent to which a sales professional is driven to succeed and what particular factors are more motivating to that individual than others. Examples of these factors include financial/material rewards, a desire to interact with and assist others, or a competitive need to rank within the top tier of salespeople. Insight into sales drivers can help answer critical questions in the pre-hire process like: Will this person be satisfied in this role over the long term? Will this person put their own self-interests ahead of the good of the client, team, or company? In what kinds of sales role or sales environment is this person likely to thrive? What types of rewards are most likely to motivate him/her? Will a former sales leader be okay moving back to an individual contributor role?

Sales Professional Competencies

Next, we look at specific behaviors that applicants or existing salespeople currently employ to understand their approach. Insight into sales competencies can help answer critical questions like: How will this sales person approach his/her work? Is this person more of a planner, a relationship builder, or a doer? Will this person be successful in a complex or technical sales role? Is he/she likely to successfully transition from one type of sales role to another? How will this person build and maintain client relationships over the short-term and long-term? Can this person effectively hunt and close deals? Can they work effectively with sales or pursuit teams?

Sales behaviors are broken down into three categories that align with the sales pipeline: Preparation, Contacting, and Implementation.

• Preparation includes different planning and research activities that a salesperson might utilize before he/she interacts with a client. Examples of behavior under this area include spending time understanding the unique considerations of a particular industry or market, and devoting time to developing and maintaining a professional network.
• Contacting sheds light on how a salesperson will develop relationships as well as their ability to modify their behavior in order to increase the probability that they will close a sale. For example, some clients may require a formal approach, while others may be more laid back and would be turned off by that same approach.
• Implementation behaviors are those that reveal what tactics a salesperson will utilize once they have initiated a relationship. Some tactics include developing a more personal relationship with a customer or maintaining a more consistent level of communication.

Sales Leader & Manager Competencies

The final component of our assessment process addresses those competencies that allow successful sales professionals to become successful sales leaders. Oftentimes, the tendencies that make sales professionals successful can get in the way of their effectiveness as leaders or managers. For example, sales professionals who are highly independent, overly internally competitive, and driven by ego may thrive as producers, but those same tendencies may cause them to hoard their trade secrets, try to keep others out of the spotlight, and be reluctant to transition their prized accounts. Ultimately, these behaviors at the sales leadership level can stunt the growth and performance of the whole team which can negatively impact the bottom line.

When a sales professional transitions to a sales leadership role, there is a different set of competencies required for success. Insight into sales leadership/management competencies can help answer critical questions in the pre-hire process like: Can this sales leader develop a compelling vision and strategy for his/her team? Will he/she generate enthusiasm and buy-in for the vision? Can this person mobilize a sales team to achieve results and develop the team for long-term success? Will this person be able to engender the internal and external key stakeholder support he/she needs to succeed as a sales leader?

Sales leadership behaviors are broken down into six categories: Creating a Vision, Developing Followership, Team Playing, Achieving Results, Follow Through, and Implementing the Vision.

• Creating a Vision consists of behaviors that indicate the frequency and type of direction a leader is likely to provide to his/her staff. These may include the extent to which a leader will rely upon previous success versus considering new or untested approaches, or the likelihood that he/she thinks about the long-term implications of decisions.
• Developing Followership explores how leaders will attempt to influence his/her team members to get on-board with their vision. Tactics here may include relying upon existing networks and relationships, or using facts and data to layout an argument.
• Team Playing reveals how a leader will interact with and leverage members of their team. For example, will the leader actively seek out the thoughts and suggestions of others before making a decision, or is he/she more likely to act without the input of others?
• Implementing the Vision, Follow Through, and Achieving Results indicate how a leader will implement a strategy and manage a team. Items within these categories shed light on the extent to which a leader will communicate expectations, delegate certain responsibilities, and hold team members accountable.

By including assessments in the sales selection and development processes, organizations can improve their ability to hire the right salespeople and identify those who would be successful in leadership roles.