Are You Hiring the Wrong Salespeople?
By Herbert M. Greenberg, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, Caliper
All salespeople are not created equal. And neither are all wholesaler-distributors. Before you can even begin to think about the type of person who will succeed in your company, you need to ask yourself some serious questions—three in particular:
- How would I describe my company’s culture?
- What are the requirements of the position?
- What is my style of management?
Let’s first consider your company’s culture.
Company Culture
The main aspects you’ll want to focus on are growth; structure; and environment. Every company wants to grow, obviously. But there are different ways to go about it. Ask yourself: Am I trying to grow by adding new services and getting more business from our current customers? Or is my goal to expand into a new territory? Different objectives require different strategies and styles.
Next, take a good look at the way your company is structured. Do you see a place with established procedures, clearly delineated job responsibilities, and set rules? Or do your employees need to act as strong change agents, wear several hats, and be versatile? Do you have some employees who function better when given rules and direction and others who prefer to be “mavericks”? Think about which works best for you—and why.
And take a look at how you want your employees to work in relation to each other. Do you have standards in place that make it easy and desirable to work together as a team? Or have you set up goals and incentive plans that invoke fierce competition?
The Position
Once you have a solid understanding of your company culture, you are ready to consider the position itself. What would make someone successful in the position? For example, let's assume we are trying to fill an equipment sales position. We know this person will be responsible for selling equipment. Simple, right? Not so fast. Let’s look at some of the details that could make or break someone in this role.
First, what type of customer will this new salesperson be targeting? Existing clients who will work with your company because of the great customer service they get? Or will the primary focus be on new business development—where your new salesperson will be up against some intense competition?
Second, consider the average close cycle. Is it one week? One month? Six months? Will it happen after one meeting? Or will it happen after several meetings over a prolonged period? The answer will play a big part in determining the type of employee you need.
Third, what are the demographics of the location? Suburban? Rural? Big city? Are your salespeople expected to do the follow-up and paperwork on their own? And if so, how big a part of the job is it? Or do you provide support staff to handle these activities?
Fourth and finally, of course, you will have a list of specific tasks. But, while the person’s ability to complete these tasks is certainly a key factor in his or her success, “ability” is by no means the only ingredient.
You
Then we have you. Who are you and what’s your management style? Being able to answer this question honestly and accurately may be more important than you think. Consider the following:
- Do you keep close tabs on the progress of your employees?
- Do you like to have your hand in all projects? Or do you need people who are more independent?
- Do you like to be surrounded by people who are very flexible, creative, and spontaneous? Or do you prefer people who are deliberate, patient, and rules-driven?
- Are you able to coach and mentor employees? Or is it difficult for you to deal with people who need a pat on the back once in awhile?
Being aware of your personal style is critical to your ability to surround yourself with the right people—the people who can thrive in the environment you create.
Okay, now let’s use this information to determine who will succeed in your company.
Two Types of Salespeople
In our more than 40 years of work in the human resources industry, we have discovered that there are basically two types of people who succeed in sales: Hunters and Farmers.
The "Hunter" is what most of us think of as the typical salesperson—and it’s the type of person most managers initially think they want. But before jumping to any conclusions, let’s take a closer look at who the hunter is—and at the environment in which he or she is likely to thrive.
Hunters are highly motivated to persuade others. Hearing someone else say “yes” is what drives them. Not just on the basis of earning a commission, but because having the opportunity to convince someone is what makes them tick; it enhances their ego and defines who they are.
They are also outgoing, assertive, and resilient individuals, who are not afraid to come right out and ask people for their business—and will not take it personally if they hear “no.”
Hunters are proactive and like things to happen NOW! They enjoy taking risks and are comfortable thinking on their feet. This can be a great asset when it comes to going after new opportunities. However, it can be a real drawback in longer-term sales cycles. Additionally, their lack of patience, tendency to be stubborn, and difficulty with detail can prevent them from reading subtle clues from customers and from taking time to plan, prepare, and handle follow-up activities.
Now let’s take a look at the "Farmer." Farmers take a more consultative approach to selling. They have a patient, low-key style, and are totally intent on coming through for their customers. Their steady approach is what leads to their success. They are detail-minded, conscientious, and accommodating. While they are not necessarily the most outgoing people, they listen extremely well, and once they establish a relationship with their customers, they will work with them as a partner—not resting until each customer is satisfied. They are generally very respectful of authority, and ultimately, farmers combine the solid values of being responsible and thorough with a patience that allows them to keep pushing for the right solutions.
Be aware, however, that with this lower-key approach, and lack of a stronger natural motivation to persuade, farmers are not people who will readily “hit the ground running.”
If you throw a farmer into an unfamiliar and competitive territory, expecting a great deal of new business acquisition, you are likely to be disappointed. When quick, no-time-to-plan, “just go for it” action is required, here again farmers will struggle.
The Ultimate Question
Now, it’s time to put everything together and address the ultimate question: Who will succeed in your company?
We’ve explored your company’s culture, the requirements of the position, and your personal style of management. When we align that information with what we know about the two types of salespeople, we can determine which personality style is a “fit” for your overall needs. You’re your needs right now—and for the future.
Don’t Let ‘Em Get Away
And here’s one last point. After you’ve gone through so much effort to determine where you’re heading and have finally hired who you need to help you get there, the last thing you want to do is lose your “perfect match” to the competition.
By exploring the personality traits of the different types of salespeople and using this information to decide who will succeed with you, you have armed yourself with some incredible knowledge: You know what motivates this person. And you can use this information to help you succeed with him or her.
If you’ve discovered that you need a hunter, here are some tips to keep your hunters happy:
Challenge them, provide them with variety, and give them their independence. If you want to lose them, just bury them in paperwork, box them in with rules and supervision, and create a situation where the closing cycle becomes long enough that they lose interest. As a developmental suggestion, have them work on slowing down to listen more attentively, and suggest they make an effort to think through the pros and cons of their ideas and solutions, rather than acting too impulsively.
As for the farmers, it is very important for them to know they are doing things right and that people are happy with their service and performance. Provide them with guidelines and regular feedback, and make them feel appreciated. And be sure they are in an environment that values and offers the opportunity to build and maintain strong customer relationships. If you want to make your farmers unhappy, just ignore them, don’t establish guidelines and expectations, and keep changing your focus. To help them develop, encourage them to think outside the box and be more open to unexpected changes.
Obviously, the hunter and farmer personality types are not “all or nothing.” You may need someone who is very close to one end of the scale, or you may require a person who falls somewhere in the middle. The point is to become aware of what the ideal profile for your company would look like, and from there, determine what traits you must have versus those that would be nice but you could live without. By matching your style, environment, and needs with the personality traits and motivations of your employees, you can dramatically increase your chances for success in achieving your goals.
About this Blog
This blog is created by NAW and its partner Caliper, an international management consulting firm that offers a wide range of personnel services to wholesale distribution companies.
