What Makes Top Sales Performers Different? What Can We Learn From Them?

Don –

Of course, my facetious post of last night was meant to broaden the issue by pointing out that gaining what we want can be a double-edged sword.

Your follow-up question is unclear and strikes me as being off topic. Nonetheless, let’s see if I understand what you’re asking…

“Dynamics of ‘good conversations’ gained through character traits.”

A dynamic is achieved by the quality of interaction between people, not through one’s own “character traits.” However, of course, as one is capable of adapting to situations and personality types, one is more able to influence—not create—the dynamic.

Coaching can help one be more self-reflexive and other-oriented. These qualities can help one be more objective. Objectivity is a characteristic that we should all develop.

I hope this helps.

-Steve
The Sales Standard

Thank you, Michael. I concur with your points.

David:
I’ve come across your posts in other discussions... You explicitly promote your service in every conversation. When making contributions, you might consider that in these forums standard decorum is to refrain from selling to the group. This is reasonable. Consider what would become of a discussion if all contributors were less concerned with offering their best input for an opportunity to sell a product. I decided to comment on this side issue as it relates to the main topic…

The pervasive problem that business owners have with sales solutions services is that most sales solutions services are prepackaged and presented by a sales “expert,” as superior to other solutions. (Business owners would be well-served to recognize the double standard of most sales consultants.) A sales solutions provider cannot presume that their service is the best solution for a prospective client without knowing a good deal about the prospective client.

Don’s question casts a broad net, as Michael pointed out. While a general idea can find satisfactory application to specific situations, in order to realize the sales potential of an organization (and let’s face it, mere sales improvement, especially these days, is a short-sighted goal), solutions must be “state-specific,” suitable to the particular conditions of a business – it’s position in the marketplace, the quality of its sales representation, the degree of internal support that it has, the challenges it has with specific competition, etc., etc.

Respectfully,
Steve

Hi Steve,

Thank you for your feedback.

The Community Policies at FOCUS.com state in part:

1. At Focus you can share your business expertise with others by contributing briefs and answering questions.

2. Remember the community rates all contributions, and the highest-rated contributions will receive the most readership and best search engine ranking. Quality has many meanings, but here are few suggestions:

* Good titles: Be as specific and contextual as possible
* Value-add: Be as unique as possible in your posts
* Specificity: Provide examples and proof points
* Reference: External links and references are welcomed
* Good grammar: Edit and spell check all of your posts

3. Community contributors are welcomed to "indirectly" promote their products or services through the creation of quality content.

Our Domain of Expertise is the Call Center - which includes the Inside Sales and Telemarketing Sectors.

My postings are relevant - provide examples and proof points - illustrate specific solutions - share information of value - and provide external links. And yes - I highlight the availability of a Free Trial of our proven Call Center Agent Pre-Employment Screening Instruments.

A major reason why we offer a Free Trial of our SPAS Call Center Agent Pre-Employment Screening Software is in recognition of the point you make that "a sales solutions provider cannot presume that their service is the best solution for a prospective client without knowing a good deal about the prospective client."

Cheers.

Don –

Thank you for asking. I, however, CANNOT authorize an inaccurate quote. The changes you’ve made to what I said render my statement as nonsense. The issue, Don, is not sales, but rather prepackaged sales solutions. Part two of the issue resides with those “experts” who tout their solutions as “superior” (explicitly or implicitly) without knowing anything about their prospective clients’ situations and needs. (There is something to be said for getting to know a prospective client and not pushing free trials of some service onto them.)

You’re welcome to use my actual quote:

“The pervasive problem that business owners have with sales solutions services is that most sales solutions services are prepackaged and presented by a sales “expert” as superior to other solutions.”

(Explanation: a prepackaged solution is never a superior solution. And an ignorant "expert" is more likely to be a liability rather than an asset for a business.)

-Steve

Thanks, Don. I hope that I was clear about which perspective I was speaking on behalf of. My point was made for the buyers ("business owners," "prospective clients"), not the sellers (“experts”). The seller in my message was a type of individual to lose or disregard objectivity for an opportunity to sell their products and/or services.

I would like to see more sales solutions services of the caliber of Tribal Knowledge (Michael Fox’s company). My hope is that business owners will become savvier and understand that truly superior sales solutions may draw from a business’s own internal resources, and certainly the ability of one who is capable of creating an original solution for a company. When business owners demand higher standards from their service providers, the commoditized services will cease to exist - and if that’s a problem for the sellers of such services, may they change their line of work or raise their standards!

-Steve
The Sales Standard

Probably many I could list here but two that come to mind instantly are:

1. really caring about your client/customer's needs - more so than making any sale
2. having 1000% self confidence and having 110% belief in what they sell (that it absolutely solves someone's problem/need or helps someone, the product/service is a reasonable price, and 'no-questions-about- it' belief in the company)

If you prequalified prospect, and you did your homework enough to have an intelligent conversation with that prospect, and then you walk into a meeting or pick up a phone with "all that" (energy) stated above, sales should consistently improve and happen in a shorter time frame as well.

Right Don - Confidence helps create approachability which always makes for easier 1st conversations/dialogues as well.

I know my answer wasn't as gem filled as Scott's or Michael's, but I thought I would contribute. :)

It's great you are taking the time to respond to each person I have never seen that since I have been on focus. I have seen occasional interactions back and forth, but not for each person who responds - so you rank in the TOP to me :)

Speaking from an Inside Sales/Telephone Sales perspective - fundamentally it’s all about the quality of the ‘Humanware’ you deploy to begin with.

While most everyone can use a telephone - not everyone is cut out to work in a Call Center environment. And while someone may have “The Right Stuff” to be a great Customer Service & Support CSR – it doesn’t necessarily follow that the same individual is also a good fit for the more demanding & sales-oriented requirements of an Inside Sales or TeleSales position.

Top Performing Inside Sales/Telephone Sales Operations drive their Revenue & Performance through Superior Hiring Tactics. Hiring the wrong Agent to begin with is the Root Cause of most TeleSales Performance Issues. It’s also a significant drain on your Budget & Bottom Line - on Customer Satisfaction - and on your Sales Results. Every failed hire represents wasted dollars down the drain. Not to mention the Lowered Productivity, Poor Morale & Higher Absences associated with a Poor Job Fit.

Typically there are 3 grades of Agents found in an Inside Sales/Telephone Sales Call Center: (Above Average), (Average), and (Below Average).

(Above Average) Agents seem to have “The Right Stuff” that pushes them to succeed & a natural compatibility with the duties of the position. They work hard - exceed expectations - do more than asked - achieve high-quality consistent results - can always be counted upon - need little direction & work extremely well with everyone.

(Average) Agents perform their duties adequately enough “to get by” - but no better. They are the partially competent. Generally they’re strong from a Skills standpoint but missing a key ingredient or two from a Job Fit/Sales Closing standpoint.

(Below Average) Agents are the people who just don’t fit somehow. Sometimes they’re good people in the wrong jobs. They need extra coaching & supervision just to achieve average results. Often they cause unnecessary conflict. (Below Average) Agents have the Highest Levels of Absenteeism, Lowest Levels of Productivity & Sales, Poorest Performance & Customer Satisfaction Ratings, and generally have a Negative Impact on Team Morale. They represent the real problems in a Call Center workforce. While (Average) & (Below Average) Agents may seem fully qualified at the Interview Stage – they’re a Poor Job Fit – the cost of hiring them is enormous – with little value add to your organization.

SPAS Call Center Agent Pre-Employment Screening Software is easy-to-deploy, very cost-effective and highly-predictive of an individual's suitability for a particular Call Center job.

SPAS Call Center Pre-Employment Screening Software is a Proven Technology that meets and exceeds all Government Employment Standards Requirements as a Hiring Tool in the USA/Canada/UK/Australia/New Zealand/South Africa and everywhere else in the world where the ‘Language of Work’ is English.

SPAS screens out the Job Candidates who will burn out fast because they aren't suited for the work - and identifies the people with the Personality/Job-Fit, Soft Skills, Motivation, and Work Ethic to be Top Inside Sales/TeleSales Agents. With SPAS as part of your Hiring Process you will be able to select new Agents who will fit your specific employment needs better - and stay on the job longer - leading to an Inside Sales/TeleSales Agent Workgroup that has more experience and is more productive.

SPAS Software is sold on an Unlimited Usage License basis - there are No "per Test" Fees - "Annual Renewal" Fees or any other User Fees. Technical Support for the SPAS Software is free & unlimited as well.

You can find out about a Free Trial of SPAS Call Center Agent Pre-Employment Screening Software at: http://www.telesoftsystems.ca/64201.html

Dave and Steve

Good answers to a tough question. Many variables are in play here and you've unpacked a lot of them. The dynamics of "good conversations" in B2B is gained through many character traits - it seems some of these are innate while others may be coached along or come with experience. Would you agree?

Don F Perkins

David;

You give a considerable amount of detailed guidance. At the end of the day, without knowing what environment Don Perkins is referring to, a focus on telephone sales can be just as destructive as a focus on outside sales.

Don, as you can see, you have created a reasonably healthy conversation on this topic. If you care to share a little more about your situation, perhaps we can respond more appropriately, and, ideally, without the less-than-subtle ads for free trials.

Regards

Mike

Michael,

Our Domain of Expertise is the Call Center.

My postings are relevant - illustrate specific solutions - and share information of value. And yes - I highlight the availability of a Free Trial of our proven Call Center Agent Pre-Employment Screening Instruments.

Cheers.

David;

I would be interested to know how this approach is working for you.

Regards

Mike

Gentlemen

Appreciate the great effort being made to clarify and address this topic. I'm humbled by the time and thought going into your responses. The question posed above was not with regard to a specific situation, rather, my intent was to spark general discussion among experts around recognizable differences between top performing sales people and stragglers; to which this thread has been first rate. It has been particularly instructive not only in the depth and breadth of content, but also in the way you each have built your cases and conducted yourselves in this exchange of ideas.

Michael - Is the IDC/Forrester research of which you speak publicly available and if so, could you provide a link?

Steve - I believe there is great validity to your comment: "The pervasive problem that business owners have with [sales] is that most [solutions] are prepackaged and presented by a sales “expert as superior to other solutions" I know one size fits all leaves me wanting every time.

I request your permission to quote you on Twitter saying the following:

"The effort that analysts recommend is to focus on improving the Tier B sales team by giving them opportunities to learn from Tier A." - Michael Fox

"The pervasive problem that business owners have with sales is that most solutions are prepackaged and presented by a sales “expert” as superior to other solutions" - Steve Young

BTW - "No" is a perfectly acceptable answer. :-)

Don F Perkins

Hi Don;

Yes, there is plentiful IDC and Forrester research available. Would you like me to post links on here, or email to you directly?

Perfectly happy for you to quote as suggested.

Best;

Mike

Michael - I'm for posting a link here for the benefit of the group so long as it's legal to do so. Thanks

Don F Perkins

Steve

Your right. I see the difference. Another problem with "prepackaging" from the sellers perspective is that it allows commoditization and dilutes differentiation.

Don F Perkins

Steve

Agreed. Logically, everybody wins in this scenario. Consumers get better solutions, smart sellers become more valuable businesses and box pushers go hungry.

Don F Perkins

Everybody:

There is a substantial repository of research at IDC which can be found here:
http://www.idc.com/research/SalesEnablement1.jsp

Note that access to research does require you to give up a name and email address etc, but they do not pester you with calls and the content is well worth the sharing of basic contact information. In particular, look for "Don't understand sales enablement? You're not alone," and "Sales Enablement: Empowering the Sales Rep."

Happy reading!

Mike

Steve;

Thanks for the compliment. I am happy to say the same about your offerings. Your contributions have repeatedly had me thinking "yes, this guy really gets it!"

There are many (many) people out there/here that offer themselves up as sales consultants which, sadly, often means that they cannot actually sell. The skills and expertise of those frequently found on this group are of substantially higher quality and greater value to those looking for shared wisdom.

And I will be the first to admit, that I am always learning, all the time.

Regards

Mike

Hi Jaxi

Without question, our attitude and countenance has everything to do with the success of these other characteristics of sales. Without adequate presence, the customer will likely not be impressed no matter how sophisticated our process or how prepared we are.

Don F Perkins

Jaxi (and all)

Sometimes the best answers are the ones that lead you to more questions. IMHO - The greatest thing about a forum like this is connecting with the "kind of people" who will make time to respond thoughtfully and genuinely about what they feel is important with regard to the topic. You and the others have made an investment in me. I am honored and will not soon forget it.

I'm also proud to wear the big "NEWBIE" tag in this discussion. As such I highly value and respect all the opinions offered. As a neophyte sales guy, my instincts are still being formed. Your views give me a window into your experiences and a well rounded sense of real world sales. Hope I get the chance to contribute meaningfully in return.

Don F Perkins

Your question spurred the meaningful Don - so your contribution has already happend :)

Keep more great, thought provoking questions that drive exceptional content coming!
Jaxi :)

Hi Don,

Once again – speaking from a Call Center perspective - (Above Average) Candidates for the position of B2B Telephone Sales or Inside Sales Agent have a unique constellation of Personality/Job-Fit traits - and specific amounts of those traits - that are necessary in order to successfully complete the job requirements.

A B2B Telephone Sales or Inside Sales Agent Agent’s success depends much more upon Personality/Job-Fit/Temperament Factors than on knowledge or cognitive skills. Merely knowing how to react in a B2B Telephone Sales or Inside Sales situation is far different from actually engaging in the necessary appropriate behavior – consistently and for the long-term.

One more important factor to understand is that it is indeed possible to have too much of a Personality/Job-Fit trait. For example - although Assertiveness is an important characteristic of a B2B Telephone Sales or Inside Sales Agent - too much Assertiveness can be detrimental to prospects/customers as well as the workplace.

Employers shouldn’t be looking for a fixed set of skills or experiences in their Job Candidates – they should be searching for something much more important — an optimum blend of Personality/Job-Fit, Soft Skills, Motivation, and Work Ethic to be a Top B2B Telephone Sales or Inside Sales Agent.

In other words … “Hire for Attitude and Train for Skill.”

Top performing B2B Telephone Sales or Inside Sales Call Centers drive their Revenue & Performance through superior hiring tactics. We help employers gain better insight & more accurate predictions as to which applicants from a pool of Candidates would perform up to, or beyond their established standards. You can find out about a Free Trial of SPAS Call Center Agent Pre-Employment Screening Software at http://www.telesoftsystems.ca/64201.html

Steve & Michael make some great points regarding Outside Sales – however there are profound differences between Inside Sales/B2B Telephone Sales and Outside Sales.

Viewing these positions as identical - and therefore attempting to hire, train, develop and manage them in the exact same way is a huge mistake.

The differences between Inside Sales/B2B Telephone Sales and Outside Sales include:

1. Nature of the buyer. Inside Sales/ B2B Telephone Sales Agents are generally pursuing an individual customer rather than an organizational one. When they are pursuing an organization, it's more common for the buyer to be a purchasing manager or other relatively low level person. Outside Sales people generally call on organizations, and at higher levels. When they are calling on individuals, they are pursuing higher priced sales (because it's much too expensive to have Outside Sales people selling low-priced products and services to single buyers).

2. Buying cycle. Inside Sales/B2B Telephone Sales Agents generally work within short buying cycles - and they'll know within a brief time span whether or not they are going to get a sale. Outside Sales may have to work for months to establish who the real buyer is and then to gain that person's trust. (This is another reason why Outside Sales have to be pursuing higher priced sales - since the cost of acquisition and length of acquisition are both so much longer.)

3. Influence factor. Over the phone, product features and benefits hold sway. There is a relatively low level of interpersonal influence. In person, client results, confidence in the sales person, and ability to form a relationship are as important as the product in many cases. This is why personal calls are much more than mere product demonstrations, except among the most inept outside salespeople.

4. Competitive presence. For the Inside Sales/B2B Telephone Sales Agent, the competition is always present because the buyer is focused not on the sales presence, but on price comparisons and competing features. In person, the competition can be effectively removed, or at least subordinated, because the Outside Sales person has the buyer's sole attention and focus.

5. Nature of the sales person. People who sell "in person" must have much more highly defined relationship-building skills. Their grooming, vocabulary, sophistication, flexibility, and speed of response must be more highly developed. Inside Sales/B2B Telephone Sales Agents need more assertiveness, since it's so easy for someone to say "no" over the phone or avoid taking calls.

6. Levels of activity. Inside Sales/B2B Telephone Sales Agents might legitimately produce dozens of quality calls a day and an Outside Sales person only two or three.

Inside Sales/B2B Telephone Sales Agents are rewarded for metrics such as sales quota, customer satisfaction, volume of calls taken (or placed) and product knowledge - to name just a few. Inside Sales/B2B Telephone Sales Agents have to manage customer interactions constantly – in an environment driven by targets – while their job is constantly monitored electronically. Each of these realities contributes to employee stress – decreases job commitment – increases absenteeism – and potentially decreases the quality of service delivered to customers.

Inside Sales/B2B Telephone Sales and Outside Sales are discrete and different pursuits - requiring separate Personality/Job-Fit/Temperament Factors. Few people possess both.

Top performing Inside Sales/B2B Telephone Sales Call Centers drive their Revenue & Performance through superior hiring tactics. We help employers gain better insight & more accurate predictions as to which applicants from a pool of Candidates would perform up to, or beyond their established standards. You can find out about a Free Trial of SPAS Call Center Agent Pre-Employment Screening Software at http://www.telesoftsystems.ca/64201.html