Development Report for:  Suzanne Example

Tested: 11/1/2008 1:09:44 PM

Contents:

Introduction

Reading Your Report

Your Profile

Interpreting Your Profile

Suggestions Based On Your Personality

Suggestions Based On Your Sales Knowledge

Action Planning

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Your overall effectiveness in sales may be influenced by many factors. These include your personality, knowledge of effective sales techniques, experience, motivations, background, contacts and, sometimes, even a little bit of luck. Some of these factors are beyond the scope of this report; however, SalesMax provides valuable information about your personality and, if you completed those sections of the SalesMax questionnaire, your sales knowledge and your motivations that can help you understand yourself better and target your development efforts.

Sales Personality

Personality tends to influence effectiveness in virtually every job, but there is no denying that personality is an important component for being successful in sales. There is no exact “right” or “best” personality for consultative or relationship-oriented sales. Research does show, however, that most successful sales professionals share certain personality traits. We are going to show how you compare to other sales professionals on traits like assertiveness, sociability, energy, etc.

Sales Knowledge

Some people instinctively know how to approach a sales situation. Most, however, need training and study to achieve their personal best. We are going to show how you scored in a variety of sales situations – identifying sales prospects and pre-qualifying them all the way through negotiating and closing the sale. If you have little or no experience in sales, your scores may be lower than if you have considerable sales experience. Regardless, this information should help you target areas in which to focus your training efforts.

Sales Motivations

As it turns out, what motivates one person can be very different from what motivates another. You may be very aware of what motivates you and find that there are no surprises at all in this report. On the other hand, you may learn some new things about yourself.

Your next question should be: “Now that I know what motivates me, what should I do with this information?” You will want to share the insights you have gained with your manager and others in the organization who are in a position to help you get more of what you want from the job. Further in this report, we will give you some tips for how to do this.

This report has been written for your personal use. We hope it will help you to think about and plan for your future development. You may want to share all or parts of this report with others, especially if you trust their judgment and wisdom, and if they can assist you with development resources or advice. People to consider might include a family member, a current or past manager, a trusted mentor, a Human Resources representative or a career counselor.

Overview of Your Development Report

The first section of this report represents feedback on your SalesMax results. These results will be interpreted in terms of how your personality and abilities may help or hinder your performance in consultative sales. If you completed those sections of the SalesMax questionnaire, you will also receive feedback on six key areas of sales knowledge and the importance of various motivators to you.

Next, specific development suggestions are provided to help you develop in the areas highlighted by SalesMax.

Finally, the last section of the report provides you with a framework for setting goals and creating a development action plan.

In reviewing your report, keep the following in mind:

The sales personality results are based on your self-perceptions and may be influenced by a favorable or unfavorable self-image. Others may see you differently than you see yourself.

We have compared your scores on the sales knowledge and sales personality portions of the survey to a sales professional norm group. It may be useful to think "compared to most sales professionals" as you read each.

Be careful not to overemphasize specific statements. Instead consider the overall picture and how your assessment results fit with your current job and future aspirations.

Take the time to read and consider the SalesMax Report information:

• Take an open, non-defensive attitude when reviewing the material. Review each section carefully and, as you consider the feedback statements, try to think of specific examples that can confirm if the inferences made by SalesMax do or do not apply to you.

• If you are not sure that a statement in the report describes you, ask someone you feel will give you honest feedback for his or her opinion.

• After reviewing your results, use the Goal Setting section of this report to help you set goals for your development and to construct an action plan for achieving your goals.

Are you ready? Let’s take a look at how you compare to other sales professionals . . .

Sales Personality             Energetic     The profile is a quick summary which will allow you to see your results compared to our sales norms. The small darkened triangles indicate your percentile score compared to these norms. Use these results and the suggestions that follow to develop areas needing improvement or to accentuate your strengths.   Follows Through       Optimistic       Resilient       Assertive       Social       Expressive       Serious-Minded       Self-Reliant       Accommodating       Positive About People       Sales Knowledge         Prospecting/Pre-qualifying     These are your scores on Sales Knowledge. Use low scores to target training or refresher work you may need.   First Meeting/First Impressions       Probing/Presenting       Overcoming Objections       Influencing/Convincing       Closing       Sales Motivations         Recognition/Attention     These scores represent the relative importance of various motivators to you. Think about what does and what does not motivate you. How can you get more of what you want from the job?   Control       Money       Freedom       Developing Expertise       Affiliation       Security/Stability       Achievement

Your basic, underlying personality may help (+) you perform at a high level or may hinder (-) your effectiveness if you do not manage certain characteristics.

+	You have a solid energy level and can handle a reasonably demanding work pace. However, there may be some room for improvement in this area, especially if you compare yourself to top performing salespeople. Make sure you set challenging and aggressive goals for yourself and then push yourself to deliver.
-	You may not always be dependable about following through on your commitments. If this is true, consider the Improving Your Follow-Through suggestion provided later in this report.
+	You have a very positive and optimistic outlook. This should allow you to avoid or overcome frustration during difficult times and approach each new opportunity with an open mind and positive expectations.
+	You appear to be thick-skinned about the rejection that inevitably comes as part of sales. You should be able to bounce back quickly from disappointments.
+	You have a confident sales presence and feel comfortable exerting influence. Asking for the sale generally should come easily for you.
+	You are outgoing and social by nature. You are apt to be comfortable meeting new people and interacting with clients or customers.
-	Many successful salespeople have a spontaneous, enthusiastic, and engaging conversation style. You appear to be more reserved and probably should learn to convey more excitement about your products or services. Consider the Becoming More Expressive suggestion provided later in this report.
+	When it comes to your work, you are very serious minded, businesslike, and professional. You take the time to make careful decisions and take only measured risks.
Personality Factors Not Directly Linked to Sales Performance: While the following personality factors have not yet been directly linked to sales performance they may have influence on your overall effectiveness at work.
-	You appear to be somewhat less self-reliant than most salespeople. When faced with new problems or difficult situations, you probably tend to look to others for assistance or guidance and probably should strive to become more independent and willing to take charge and get things done on your own. Consider the Becoming More Self-Reliant suggestion provided later in this report.
-	You appear to be a very uncooperative person whose style will tend to be "I win, you lose." If this is true, not only will you have difficulty maintaining civil working relationships with coworkers and your boss, but in the long run, this will decrease your ability to maintain good relationships with customers and get repeat business. You should pay special attention to the Being More Accommodating suggestion provided later in this report.
+	You appear to have a balanced outlook regarding others and their intentions. That is to say, you are neither overly trusting and optimistic, nor negative and distrustful in your view of others.

You appear to have a good understanding of effective consultative sales techniques in the following areas:

+	Negotiating and closing the sale.

 

Your results suggest that you may need sales training in the following areas:

-	Identifying sales prospects and pre-qualifying them.
-	Understanding the importance of first impressions in initiating positive and productive sales relationships.
-	Developing a clear understanding of the customer's specific needs.
-	Convincing the customer of the value of company products and/or services.

You appear to be most motivated by:

• Recognition and attention – you want to be recognized for work well done. Attention, recognition, and praise are important to you, and you will be motivated to work hard to achieve these rewards. There is some risk, however, that your motivation and performance will suffer when you do not get the recognition you feel you deserve. Try to discipline yourself to perform up to high internal standards, even when you feel you are not being recognized for your efforts. Give yourself “pats on the back” for a job well done, regardless of whether others recognize your efforts.

We have written personality-based developmental suggestions for you on the following topics:

• Improving Your Follow-Through

• Becoming More Expressive

• Becoming More Self-Reliant

• Being More Accommodating

Your responses to the assessment suggest that, while your intentions may be good, you may not always complete the tasks that you start or consistently deliver what you promised. It may be that you commit to doing too much or fail to focus on key priorities. This may hinder your performance as well as the performance of others who are depending on you. To increase your persistence and follow-through, consider the following suggestions:

Activities

Organization skills can help you manage your productivity. Take 10 minutes at the end of each workday (or first thing in the morning) to make a list of what you will be doing the next day. Prioritize your activities and focus on the high priority tasks first.

Make sure that you keep track of deadlines. Use a calendar, your computer or a personal digital assistant (PDA) to remind yourself of important deadlines. Set interim deadlines to ensure that you are progressing on tasks that may lead to sales in the future.

Make every attempt to finish what you start. If you find that you have committed to more than you can complete on time, focus on the most important tasks and set or ask for revised deadlines for the others. Be sure to consider how your task completion schedule will affect other people and give higher priority to those tasks that will unblock their work. Always inform those people affected if you expect to miss a deadline, and try to inform them as early as you can.

Try to avoid over committing yourself. Do not agree to do something you cannot deliver on time. Be honest with yourself and with others. Everyone is busy, and most people understand that there is only so much you can do.

When you complete a sale, make sure all the paperwork is completed, and you have made all the arrangements necessary on your end for a smooth delivery of a product or service. Set a reminder on your calendar to ensure you close the loop with others.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

• Aim First!: Get Focused, Fired Up and Follow Through on Your Goals by Lee T. Silber, 1995.

• It's Not What You Say…It's What You Do: How Following Through At Every Level Can Make Or Break Your Company by Laurence Haughton, 2004.

• Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life by David Allen, 2004.

• The 25 Best Time Management Tools & Techniques: How to Get More Done Without Driving Yourself Crazy by Pamela Dodd and Doug Sundheim, 2005.

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey, 2007.

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Things Done by Jeff Davidson, 2005.

• The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by Neil Fiore, 2007.

• Ready for Anything (Electronic Book) by David Allen, 2007.

• 5 Steps To Successful Selling [Abridged] by Zig Ziglar, 2002.

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Audio CD) by Stephen R. Covey, 2004.

• Time Management provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2233.htm]

In your responses to the personality questionnaire, you have described yourself as reserved and non-expressive. While there is nothing wrong with this per se, you may have difficulty displaying enthusiasm about the products or services you are selling. If you are not visibly excited about them, it is unlikely your customers will be either. Consider the following suggestions to become more expressive.

Activities

Take a look at your "body language" and your communication style. Do you seem to be "uptight" or too serious? (If you are not sure, ask a friend for feedback about this.) Could it be that your "all business," reserved style causes you to be seen as unapproachable?

Go on some sales calls with someone who is more expressive than you are. Listen to the things they say and how they say them. Try to incorporate some of what they do well into your own presentations and conversations.

Survey your current customers to learn what they like most about your products/services. Try to get them to elaborate, and use what they say in your presentations and conversations.

Make a list of what differentiates your products/services from the competition. Think about what you will say to customers to convey this information in enthusiastic and impactful ways. Rehearse this with another salesperson before you try it on a customer.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

• Fully Alive From 9 to 5!: Creating Work Environments that Invite Health, Humor, Compassion, and Truth by Louise LeBrun, 1999.

• Conversationally Speaking: Tested New Ways To Increase Your Personal & Social Effectiveness by Alan Garner, 1997.

• The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Rapport -- And Leave a Positive Impression by Debra Fine, 2005.

• Learn to Relax: A Practical Guide to Easing Tension and Conquering Stress by Mike George, 1998.

• Romancing the Room: How to Engage Your Audience, Court Your Crowd, and Speak Successfully in Public by James Wagstaffe, 2002.

• The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Rapport -- And Leave a Positive Impression (Audio Cassette) by Debra Fine, 1997.

Your assessment responses suggest that you tend to look to others for guidance rather than taking initiative on your own. If you are new to sales, perhaps additional training might give you the extra confidence you need to take charge and get things done. However, if this is a general issue for you, and if you would like to become more of a self-starter, consider the following suggestions.

Activities

Push yourself to take greater initiative. There are lots of ways to do this. Do the research to identify new leads, strategize an approach to reach a new market, take responsibility for setting up new appointments, look at your job and ask yourself how you could do it better.

Ask yourself: "What would my boss want me to do in this situation?" – then do it!

When faced with a significant decision or problem in your work, take the time to analyze it and arrive at one or two solutions or alternatives. Then, go to your boss (or co-workers if it is a project on which you are working with others) with options and recommendations rather than asking for suggestions about what to do.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

• Take Control by Michael Janke, 2000.

• Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out by Phillip C. McGraw, 2003.

• Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior by Mark Goulston & Philip Goldberg, 1996.

• If It Is To Be It's Up To Me: How to Develop the Attitude of a Winner and Become a Leader (Personal Development Series) by Thomas B. Smith, 2001.

• Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self by Rosalene Glickman, 2002.

• Stand Up for Your Life: A Practical Step-by-Step Plan to Build Inner Confidence and Personal Power by Cheryl Richardson, 2003.

• The Power of Self-Coaching: The Five Essential Steps to Creating the Life You Want by Joseph J. Luciani, 2004.

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Audio CD) by Stephen R. Covey, 2004.

• Preparing for Leadership: What It Takes to Take the Lead provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2536.htm]

You appear to be unconcerned about whether others like you or what you do, especially if their acceptance depends upon you saying or doing things differently than you prefer. Taking a strong, uncompromising stance in a sales role can be effective in some situations, but can be counter-productive in many others. Likewise, there are many circumstances with a boss or co-workers in which cooperation and accommodation produce better outcomes for the organization and all of the people involved. Consider the following suggestions.

Activities

Work on developing a win-win style in dealing with others. Recognize that compromise and accommodation does not equal losing and can often lead to repeat business and better solutions to problems.

Pay attention to the needs and concerns of others. Try to exceed the expectations of your customers wherever possible. Do the same for your co-workers.

Consider the development of your human relations skills in general. You will find that the payoffs, in terms of commitment and support from others, can be very large.

Ask someone who knows you well to give you examples of when your behavior might be perceived as overly aggressive or competitive. What could you say or do differently to be (and be perceived to be) more cooperative?

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

• People Styles at Work: Making Bad Relationships Good and Good Relationships Better by Robert Bolton & Dorothy G. Bolton, 1996.

• Achieve Sales Excellence: The 7 Customer Rules for Becoming the New Sales Professional by Howard Stevens & Theodore Kinni, 2006.

• How to Talk to Customers: Create a Great Impression Every Time with MAGIC by Diane Berenbaum & Tom Larkin, 2007.

• Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results by Jack Mitchell, 2003.

• Sales Dogs: You Do Not Have to Be an Attack Dog to Be Successful in Sales (Rich Dad's Advisors series) by Blair Singer & Robert T. Kiyosaki, 2001.

• Who Stole My Customer?? Winning Strategies for Creating and Sustaining Customer Loyalty by Harvey Thompson, 2004.

• Building Better Work Relationships: New Techniques for Results-oriented Communication provided by American Management Association.

• Responding to Conflict: Strategies for Improved Communication provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2115.htm]

General Resources For Improving Your Sales Knowledge

Books:

• The New Strategic Selling: The Unique Sales System Proven Successful by the World's Best Companies, Revised and Updated for the 21st Century by Stephen E. Heiman & Diane Sanchez, 2005.

• The Sales Advantage: How to Get It, Keep It, and Sell More Than Ever by J. Oliver Crom & Michael Crom, 2002.

• How Winners Sell: 21 Proven Strategies to Outsell Your Competition and Win the Big Sale by David Stein, 2004.

• Discover Your Sales Strengths: How the World's Greatest Salespeople Develop Winning Careers by Benson Smith & Tony Rutigliano, 2003.

• The New Solution Selling: The Revolutionary Sales Process That is Changing the Way People Sell by Keith M. Eades, 2003.

• The Selling Cycle. On-line, self-paced instruction offered by PrimeLearning.

• 5 Steps To Successful Selling (Abridged) Audio CD by Zig Ziglar, 2002.

• Solution Selling eLearning Seminars

• American Management Association: Marketing Seminars Listing. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/markting.htm]

• Professional Society for Sales and Marketing Training. [http://www.smt.org/]

Improve your knowledge of techniques for identifying sales prospects and pre-qualifying them using the following targeted resources.

Books

• Cold Calling Techniques that Really Work! by Stephan Schiffman, 2007.

• 151 Quick Ideas to Get New Customers (EasyRead Large Bold Edition) by Jerry R Wilson, 2008.

• Buyer-Approved Selling: Sales Secrets from the Buyer's Side of the Desk (The Approved Series) by Michael Schell, 2004.

• Creating a Million-Dollar-a-Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals by Paul M. McCord, 2006.

• Heat Up Your Cold Calls: How to Get Prospects to Listen, Respond, and Buy by George Walther, 2005.

• Instant Leads (Instant Success) by Bradley J. Sugars & Brad Sugars, 2005.

• Knock Your Socks Off Prospecting: How to Cold Call, Get Qualified Leads, and Make More Money (Knock Your Socks Off Series) by William "Skip" Miller & Ron Zemke, 2005.

• Lead Generation for the Complex Sale: Boost the Quality and Quantity of Leads to Increase Your ROI by Brian Carroll, 2006.

• Lead Generation Handbook: 63 Ways You Might Not Have Thought Of To Get More Prospects, More Quickly, At Less Cost by Robin C. Johnston, 2006.

• Managing Sales Leads: Turning Cold Prospects into Hot Customers by James Obermayer, 2007.

• Never Cold Call Again: Achieve Sales Greatness Without Cold Calling by Frank J. Rumbauskas Jr., 2006.

• Perfect Phrases for Lead Generation (Perfect Phrases) by Bill Brooks, 2007.

• Prospect or Perish: Make Every Sales Second Count by Steven D. Carroll, 2005.

• The Lead Ladder: Turn Strangers Into Clients, One Step at a Time by Marcus Schaller, 2006.

• The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance: Earning What You're Worth in Sales by George W. Dudley, 2007.

• The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan by Matt Bacak & Mike Litman, 2005.

• The Fine Art of Small Talk by Debra Fine, 2002.

Targeted Low-Knowledge Suggestion: First Meetings/First Impressions

Improve your knowledge of techniques for making good first impressions and initiating positive and productive sales relationships using the following targeted resources.

Books

• Cold Calling Techniques that Really Work! by Stephan Schiffman, 2007.

• First Impressions: What You Don't Know About How Others See You by Ann Demarais, Ph.D. & Valerie White, Ph.D., 2005.

• The First Five Minutes: How to Make a Great First Impression in Any Business Situation by Mary Mitchell, 1998.

• The Power of Meeting New People: Start Conversations, Keep Them Going, Build Rapport, Develop Friendships, and Expand Business by Debra Fine, 2005.

• The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Rapport -- And Leave a Positive Impression by Debra Fine, 2005.

Multimedia

• The Fine Art of Small Talk: How To Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Networking Skills -- and Leave a Positive Impression! by Debra Fine, 2005.

Targeted Low-Knowledge Suggestion: Probing/Presenting

Improve your knowledge of techniques for developing a clear understanding of the customer’s specific needs using the following targeted resources.

Books

• SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham, 1988.

• How Winners Sell: 21 Proven Strategies to Outsell Your Competition and Win the Big Sale by David Stein, 2004.

• Killer Presentations: Power the Imagination to Visualise Your Point - With PowerPoint by Nicholas B. Oulton, 2007.

• Making Presentations Happen: A Simple and Effective Guide to Speaking with Confidence and Power (Making It Happen series) by Michael Brown, 2003.

• Making the Client Connection: Maximizing the Power of Your Personality, Presentations, and Presence by Mitch Anthony and Gary DeMoss, 2004.

• Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story, Updated and Expanded Edition (2nd Edition) by Jerry Weissman, 2008.

• Sales Presentation Techniques: That Really Work by Stephan Schiffman, 2007.

• Secrets of Question Based Selling: How the Most Powerful Tool in Business Can Double Your Sales Results by Thomas Freese, 2000.

• Successful Presentation Skills (3rd edition) by Andrew Bradbury, 2006.

• New Sales Speak: The 9 Biggest Sales Presentation Mistakes & How to Avoid Them (Live) by Terri Sjodin.

Targeted Low-Knowledge Suggestion: Influencing/Convincing

Improve your knowledge of techniques for convincing the customer of the value of company products and/or services using the following targeted resources.

Books

• Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People by G. Richard Shell, 2006.

• Essentials of Negotiation by Roy Lewicki, David Saunders & John Minton, 2006.

• Getting Past No: Negotiating Your Way From Confrontation to Cooperation by William Ury, 1993.

• Influencing and Collaborating for Results (Leading from the Center) by Duke Corporate Education, 2005.

• Making the Client Connection: Maximizing the Power of Your Personality, Presentations, and Presence by Mitch Anthony and Gary DeMoss, 2004.

• Negotiating and Influencing Skills: The Art of Creating and Claiming Value by Brad McRae, 1997.

• Think Like Your Customer: A Winning Strategy to Maximize Sales by Understanding and Influencing How and Why Your Customers Buy by Bill Stinnett, 2004.