Great Sales People are Born, but Great Sales Forces are Made
thinksales|August - October 2016

Even the best natural sellers need a strategy, a defined role and processes to enable their success.

Andris Zoltners, PK Sinha & Sally Lorimer
Great Sales People are Born, but Great Sales Forces are Made

In sales, where charisma and extroversion can be advantages, some people attribute success more to inborn personality traits than to skills that can be coached or taught. Yet the fact that companies in the US alone spend more than $20 billion annually (by conservative estimates) to train sales people on products, selling skills, and territory management, demonstrates the widespread belief that you can help ‘make’ sales people great.

Most sales leaders would agree that sales people who possess certain innate personality characteristics, such as curiosity, empathy, and drive, are more likely to be successful. (Consider the saying: “Although you can teach a turkey to climb a tree, it’s much easier to hire a squirrel.”) But there’s a big difference between individual success in sales and success across an entire sales force. Whatever the born/made balance for a single sales person, great sales forces are made.

Even if you believe that most great sales people are born, a first step in ‘making’ a great sales force is finding, hiring, and retaining the natural sellers. But talent on its own is not enough. Even the best natural sellers need a strategy around target products and markets and a defined role, along with systems and processes to enable their success and align their efforts around common goals of customer and companysuccess. Great sales forces are made by bringing excellence to all of the following:

1 Strategy

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August - October 2016 من thinksales.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August - October 2016 من thinksales.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من THINKSALES مشاهدة الكل
Getting Over Your Fear Of Cold Calling Customers
thinksales

Getting Over Your Fear Of Cold Calling Customers

A recent research study found that 48% of business-to-business salespeople are afraid of making cold calls.

time-read
5 mins  |
July - September 2019
10 Tips To Get Honest, Productive Feedback
thinksales

10 Tips To Get Honest, Productive Feedback

Great leaders are great learners. Their never-ending pursuit of information pushes them to constantly improve and sets them apart from the rest. Getting and learning from feedback isn’t always easy, but it is necessary, if we want to become better.

time-read
5 mins  |
July - September 2019
The 5 Things All Great Salespeople Do
thinksales

The 5 Things All Great Salespeople Do

The best salespeople know they’re the best. They take pride in their art form. They separate themselves from the rest of the pack regardless of circumstance. So how do they do it? What’s their secret? Are you one of them?

time-read
4 mins  |
July - September 2019
Why Trade Shows Are Worthy Of Your Marketing Budget
thinksales

Why Trade Shows Are Worthy Of Your Marketing Budget

Given unrealistic expectations against a modest budget, marketing leaders are routinely tasked with making trade-offs on what stays and goes in their annual budget. In a highly digitised world, trade shows might seem like the ancient way to do things, but they remain one of the best forums for exposure to customers. Increase your success rate with trade shows through more thoughtful planning that aligns sales and marketing to common goals and objectives.

time-read
4 mins  |
July - September 2019
Why CRM Projects Fail And How To Make Them More Successful
thinksales

Why CRM Projects Fail And How To Make Them More Successful

CRM is an important tool, but it is just a tool. When the laptops are shut down for the day, it’s your sales team that is responsible for bringing value to clients and driving revenue. Implement your CRM with that in mind and you’ll be pleased with your ROI.

time-read
4 mins  |
July - September 2019
Is Your Corporate Strategy Paying Off?
thinksales

Is Your Corporate Strategy Paying Off?

Key questions to determine if your strategy is working.

time-read
2 mins  |
August - October 2016
3 Ways to Improve Your Ability to Diagnose
thinksales

3 Ways to Improve Your Ability to Diagnose

Selling requires a strong ability to diagnose the client’s problems and challenges. 

time-read
4 mins  |
August - October 2016
How To Create Compelling Content
thinksales

How To Create Compelling Content

How do you create content that cuts through the noise? How do you get attention now that there is a glut of content being created?

time-read
5 mins  |
February - April 2017
Build Up Your Resilience By Asking Yourself Two Simple Questions
thinksales

Build Up Your Resilience By Asking Yourself Two Simple Questions

You may surprise yourself and find good in the bad.

time-read
4 mins  |
August - October 2017
How Marketing Can Increase Customer Lifetime Value
thinksales

How Marketing Can Increase Customer Lifetime Value

Marketing can play a pivotal role in boosting customer profitability.

time-read
2 mins  |
August - October 2017