Organizations need sales reps – they are critical to the success of the business. But even with such a key role in the company, only 1/3 of sales people meet or exceed quota, meaning that 2/3 of reps fail to reach their annual sales goals.
Steve W. Martin at Harvard Business Review recently conducted a study to determine what separates high-performing salespeople from the underperformers, offering insight into what factors impact the success of sales reps.
Characteristics of a Top Sales Rep
1) Verbal Acuity
This refers to the sales rep’s ability to convey a message in a way that the prospect can understand, whether it’s about specific product features or industry trends or a pain point they are experiencing. A successful salesperson needs to be able to communicate on the same level as the prospect or customer, using the appropriate jargon and relevant keywords. In the study, the Flesch-Kincaid readability test determined that top salespeople communicated at the 11th – 13th grade level, versus underperforming reps at the 8th – 9th grade level. Sales reps should have access to key information about the product, the industry, and competitors, helping them to have those engaging and meaningful conversations with prospects.
2) Achievement-Oriented Personality
McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory, loosely based on Maslow’s hierarchy, is based on the premise that all humans have three motivators: the need for achievement, the need for power, and the need for relationships. Eighty-four percent of top sales reps scored high in the achievement category. Unsurprisingly, the same proportion played on a sports team in high school, an experience that equipped them with the skills to function in a competitive environment. This behavior is manifested in the sales world by reps who are power users of CRM and internal tools, who fixate on achieving goals, and who consistently track their performance. These reps are keen to use tools, such as Seismic, that will help them sell more efficiently and effectively.
3) Situational Dominance
This refers to the sale rep’s ability to control the conversation and guide the prospect to the next step in the purchase process. Does the salesperson confidently engage with the prospect or do they have a more passive or reactive approach? Of course, top performers scored higher on situational dominance tests. Sales leaders can help their reps in this area by providing the sales guidance that will help them assertively drive prospects through the sales funnel.
4) Inward Pessimism
Almost 2/3 of top sales reps are more pessimistic than optimistic. According to Martin, “Salespeople always have to maintain a positive attitude and pleasant demeanor while in front of customers. However, inward pessimism drives a salesperson to question the viability of the deal and credibility of the buyer.” This trait pushes reps to ask tougher qualifying questions and seek meetings with higher-level decision makers, increasing their chances of sealing the deal.
5) Sales Management & Organization Impact
The study revealed that high performers and under performers used and engaged with their sales managers differently, despite having relatively equal amounts of face-to-face time. According to top sales reps, a great sales manager has leadership and management skills, practical experiences, and communication and coaching skills. According to underperforming sales reps, a great sales manager has industry expertise and product knowledge, communication and coaching skills, and fights for the team. Smith asserts, “Underperformers tend to use their managers to make up for the product and industry knowledge they lack”. Further, sales managers share more of a collaborative relationship with top sales reps, resulting in greater team morale. Conversations with underperformers, on the other hand, consist of making sure they are on task.
While sales leaders can’t control the personalities of their sales team, they can provide the tools and guidance that will help set reps up for success. Make sure that you have ongoing development and training in place to keep your team up to speed so they can engage in those value-added conversations. Similarly, consider a sales enablement platform that will arm reps with the right content and the right message at the right time. With regards to coaching, these tools often include features that let sales leaders push sales guidance to their reps when they need it most. Internal training videos, demo scripts, competitive information, and other materials are recommended based on the sales situation. These initiatives will help to retain top performers and transition middle performers into the A-team.
