The "80/20 Rule" says that 80% of all products and
services are sold by just 20 percent of the salespeople. This
presents a challenge to sales executives who direct teams of
salespeople. An analysis of several sales organizations
reached the conclusion that about half of the people in the
study lacked the behavioral characteristics required to
effectively perform the duties that sales jobs call for. They
should never have been hired for sales positions in the first
place. The study found that of the remaining 50%, half had the
potential for success in sales, but were not hired to sell the
right kind of product or service. The study concluded that
only about 25% of those working in sales position have a good
match with the work they are doing. Thus, the "80/20 Rule" is
only "valid" because people lacking sales essentials get hired
and others are not matched with the right products or
services.
The Profiles Sales Indicator™ provides a means of selecting
people who have the five qualities that make salespeople
successful: Competitiveness, Self-reliance, Persistence,
Energy, and Sales Drive. It also predicts on-the-job
performance in seven critical sales behaviors: Prospecting,
Closing Sales, Call Reluctance, Self-starting, Teamwork,
Building and Maintaining Relationships, and Compensation
Preference.
The Profiles Sales Indicator can be customized by company,
sales position, department, manager, geography, or any
combination of these factors. Empirical data can be used to
develop a pattern that will tell you how well a job candidate
matches your successful salespeople.
The Profiles Sales Indicator is easy to use. It can be taken
in just 15-20 minutes and produces clear, readable reports
that are direct and to the point. These reports can be used
for selecting, managing, and training salespeople more
effectively. This tool provides objective data for developing
a more effective sales team, one person at a time.