How to Select Sales People More EffectivelyWritten by Susan Dunn, MA, Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach
If you’re looking for good salespeople, and particularly if you’re trying to qualify candidates by phone, there’s an emotional intelligence protocol you can use to better qualify them and save yourself time and money.There’s been a lot of research on what makes people successful at sales. Sales success is related to EQ competencies more clearly than many professions, and almost directly related to optimism, which makes this a slam-dunk for you. For example, sales agents at L’Oreal selected on basis of certain emotional competencies significantly outsold salespeople selected by company’s former selection procedure. On an annual basis, salespeople selected on basis of EQ sold $91,370 more than other salespeople did, for a net revenue increase of $2,558,360. Salespeople selected on basis of emotional competence also had 63% less turnover during first year than those selected in typical way (Spencer & Spencer, 1993; Spencer, McClelland, & Kelner, 1997). There’s also a very impressive study done by Met Life, which was having trouble in selection process and losing a lot of money in training. New salesmen who scored high on a test of one particular EQ competency sold 37% more life insurance in their first two years than those low in this competency (Seligman, 1990).
| | Have You Got Your Uniform On?Written by Susan Dunn, MA, Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach
Whatever your job is, and whether you’re aware of it or not, I bet you have a “uniform.” There’s something that – when you put it on – you’re ready to go.I was reminded of this by FlyLady who always writes, “Where are your shoes?” She helps women at home organize their lives, and sends daily (and more) reminders. She’s an advocate for getting up in morning and putting on a pair of lace-up shoes. For me, it’s putting on my headset. I’m a coach and do most of my work at computer and on phone. When I sit down at computer and put on headset, my whole mindset changes. I settle in. I focus. I’m ready to go. It’s like putting blinders on horse. In fact, go here: http://www.arcaros.com/images/4125.jpg to see full apparatus for horse getting ready to be worked. The blinders serve to keep horse looking ahead, and to avoid distractions from peripheral vision. That’s not a bad analogy for settling in to get some serious work done. You need to focus your vision, and focus your mind on task ahead. It can be especially hard if you’re self-employed or work at home to create right atmosphere. Getting up in morning and putting on your “uniform” works like Pavlov’s dog, you know, “conditioning.” If you will do this for 30 days, you will see some great results. Get up in morning, make your bed, then shower and put on your uniform and go to work. Pretty soon it will all become habit, and all be connected together – put on uniform = time to go to work.
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