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. It’s related highly to EQ competencies, moreso than many professions, which makes this a slam-dunk for you.
For example, sales agents at L’Oreal selected on the basis of certain emotional competencies significantly outsold salespeople selected by the company’s former selection procedure. On an annual basis, salespeople selected on the basis of EQ sold $91,370 more than other salespeople did, for a net revenue increase of $2,558,360. Salespeople selected on the basis of emotional competence also had 63% less turnover during the first year than those selected in the typical way (Spencer & Spencer, 1993; Spencer, McClelland, & Kelner, 1997).
There was also an impressive study done by Met Life. Their selection process was costing them losses in training and productivity. They found new salesmen who scored high in one particular EQ competency sold 37% more life insurance in their first two years than those who weren’t. Seligman, 1990).
EQ relates to retention, as well. Sales reps at a computer company hired on their EQ were 90% more likely to finish their training, and salespeople at a national furniture retailer with higher EQ had half the dropout rate during their first year. (Hay/McBer Research and Innovation Group, 1997).
Giving candidates an online EQ assessment interpreted by an EQ coach gives you valuable information. Credentials, work history and references are only part of the story, and visual cues are missing in phone interviews.
Another keen indicator of sales ability and important character and personality traits is the StrengthsFinderT Profile. A successful salesperson might have these innate strengths: WOO (Winning Others Over), Positivity, Communicator, Activator and Focus. Another might have Strategic, Achiever, Relator, Intellection and Empathy.
If your hiring person works with an EQ coach on your selection procedure, including the coach on teleinterviews with applicants, and processes afterward, you will greatly accelerate the learning curve. We work in person, of course, but coaches are extremely adept at phone work.
Susan Dunn, MA, Marketing Coach,
http://www.webstrategies.cc. Marketing consultation,
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