sales assessment
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How Many Salespeople Shouldn’t be in Sales?
- May 8, 2009
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Our certified sales development expert in Singapore, Ray Bigger, of Think8, asked if we had data on what percentage of salespeople should be considered for a different role. Of course we do, Ray!
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What is Causing Your Salespeople to Fail in this Economy?
- April 23, 2009
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Do you have a salesperson like Bob?
Bob was very anxious over what to write to a suspect that blew him off. The prospect canceled an appointment and was vague about whether or not he would reschedule. This stopped Bob in his tracks and he literally spent an entire day getting feedback on what his email should say. Not only is Bob wasting time, it is time that could be spent finding and identifying additional opportunities, moving existing opportunities along and connecting with customers or clients and collecting referrals. So what causes Bob to do this and could we have predicted this behavior?
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Cultural Differences with a Sales Force Evaluation
- April 21, 2009
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I was in New Orleans speaking at the Gazelles Coaches Summit, a prelude to the Fortune Magazine Sales Summit. I was asked a question about cultural differences with the Sales Force Evaluation: Is the lack of Money Motivation on an entire sales force in Ireland a cultural difference? My questioner went on to say that the good people of Ireland, when asked if they would like a cup of tea, need to be asked three times before they’ll say yes – even though they really want that cup of tea.
The Money Motivation issue has only three possible outcomes:
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Don’t Make Assumptions About Sales Candidates
- March 31, 2009
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I have previously shared many instances of sales candidate assessments coming to life with their email, voice mails and interview antics following the taking of our assessment. While the following email is another example of that, it is an even better example of what happens when a skeptical client finally realizes it:
The client wrote:
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The Secret – The Ancient Scrolls and its Impact on the Sales Force
- March 24, 2009
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Since this book is not the Kabbalah itself, rather a Cliff Notes version, it tends to read more like a self-help book. It is far more powerful than a self-help book though as it points to a number of rules that will cause a transformation in one’s life.
Seven of the desired behaviors are consistent with the philosophies in Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball as well as Objective Management Group’s Sales Assessments:
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Personality Assessments – They Still Don’t Get it
- February 18, 2009
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
The following email was recently forwarded to me. As you read it, look at the descriptors which the client references in the personality assessments. They’re not sales descriptors, so in essence, we have another example of an assessment which claims to be measuring one thing, but actually is measuring another:
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Former IBM Pro Lashes Out Over Sales Assessment
- February 17, 2009
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
A CEO of a fairly large-sized but under-performing OEM asked us to evaluate his sales force. One of the three regional managers, who assessed as poorly as any regional manager could, called to complain about his results. In addition to calling me a toad, Bob said that in the eighties he used to sell and manage at IBM and he led the top performing team. He finished by letting me know that we didn’t know what we were talking about and, by the way, he would be picking me up at the airport for the kick-off of their national training initiative.
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Will Gifts Get Prospects to Return Calls from your Salespeople?
- February 13, 2009
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
A fruit basket arrived this morning. My first reaction was, “who would want to send me a fruit basket?” It turned out that a salesperson sent it, hoping to get me on the phone. He had already left two voice mail messages and stopped by on one other occasion.
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Sales Assessments vs Personality Assessments Episode III – The PHD’s Strike Back
- February 3, 2009
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Are PHD’s more sensitive to criticism than the rest of us?
I heard from a few over the past week and they weren’t happy with what I wrote here and here. I rocked their world and they couldn’t cope.
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Exposed – Personality Tests Disguised as Sales Assessments
- January 28, 2009
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Yesterday, I met with a long-time client who, in his previous company, used OMG’s Assessments to identify what needed to change in order to double revenue from $30 million to $60 million. In his new company, which is already about 12x that size, he wants to double revenue again. He said, “I just wasted two years with the _____ Assessment.” The assessment to which he referred was a personality assessment marketed as a sales assessment. It could have referred to any personality or behavioral-styles assessment.