• Personality Tests – Are They Worth the Risk?

    • September 12, 2006
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Kathryn Davis published an article warning that companies proceed with caution before they use personality tests. While she cites ‘no adverse impact’ and ‘questions that could violate privacy’ or ‘questions that could uncover mental disorders’, she really questions whether personality tests are worth the risk.

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  • New Salespeople – The Rules of Engagement

    • September 11, 2006
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    We debriefed the trip and identified 43 lessons learned. Debriefing your coaching, accountability, motivational or recruiting events should always produce lessons learned or, as the doctor in our group would call it, morbidity and mortality rounds.

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  • What Can a Trip to Italy Teach You About Managing New Salespeople?

    • September 11, 2006
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    We debriefed the trip and identified 43 lessons learned. I you strive for perfection, debriefing your coaching, accountability, motivational or recruiting events should always produce lessons learned or, as the doctor in our group would call it, morbidity and mortality rounds.

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  • Sales Hiring Efficiency

    • August 31, 2006
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I’ve addressed the lack of hirable candidates before – but in different ways! Today, I introduce a new metric, Sales Hiring Efficiency.

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  • Terminating Salespeople for Non Performance

    • August 30, 2006
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    More than any other employees in the company, you can easily prove it when salespeople are underachievers.

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  • Sales and Statistics

    • August 22, 2006
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    If we judged Bob on sales alone we would have to give him failing grades for the 2nd quarter. If we judged him on his effort and his willingness to change and adapt, he gets an A. How do you judge your salespeople? How you do make sure that salespeople aren’t being judged by sales alone?

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  • Major Assessments Go Head to Head – Part II

    • August 17, 2006
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    When you build a world-class sales recruiting process and use a best in class sales specific assessment, you can’t lose. You’ll consistently attract, identify, hire and retain stronger salespeople than ever before.

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  • The Death of Selling Part 4

    • August 16, 2006
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    As I mentioned in my previous post on this topic I was invited to participate in a business forum on the topic of the ‘death of the sales force’.

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  • Sales, Sales Force, Salesperson, Sales Call – More Death

    • August 12, 2006
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I can’t keep writing about this. It’s off topic. But it’s driving me nuts. The impending death of the sales call, the sales force and the salesperson is not only exaggerated, it’s a big lie.

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  • Two Major Assessments Go Head to Head

    • August 10, 2006
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Are you getting the intelligence you need to select the right salespeople for your company?

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