The Profiles Sales Indicator
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.