According to The Harvard Business School the two essential traits for successful salespeople are empathy and ego drive. Ego drive defined as:

• Persuasion: The need to convince someone to see things your way and feel satisfied about doing so
• Self-improvement: The desire to prove oneself better than others
• Motivation: The determination to succeed, achieve goals, and make sales

Traits that amplify these essential traits are curiosity and ambition (work ethic).

When and how a person develops these traits is subject to debate. Empathy can be developed over time, even later in life. Science tells us ego begins to develop between the ages of 2 and 4.  You don’t need those characteristics from birth, but it gives you a huge advantage.

Steve W. Martin of the Harvard Business Review chronicles:

“Based upon my research, experience, and observations, I estimate over 70 percent of top salespeople are born with “natural” instincts that play a critical role in determining their sales success. Conversely, less than 30 percent of top salespeople are self-made — meaning, they have had to learn how to become top salespeople without the benefit of these natural abilities. In addition, for every one hundred people who enter sales without natural sales traits, 40 percent will fail or quit, 40 percent will perform at near average, and only 20 percent will be above average.”  (This reinforces my Three Thirds Law outlined in my recent OAAA presentation).

Like any other innate talent, to become a pro, you need training, mentoring, real-world experiences, and a success-oriented manager/team.

A great source for finding winning sales candidates are restaurant servers and bartenders.  They can establish immediate rapport, manage difficult personalities, and cut to the chase.

Another great source of sales reps is those who have displayed tenacity and resilience, overcoming adversity and thrived.

Route salespeople (think: Schwan’s, Yelloh, Snap On Tools, any direct grocery store delivery reps, i.e.: snack food, soft drink, bread, etc.) who may want a more conventional day job, make great candidates.

Consider small business owners who are challenged with all the aspects of operating a small enterprise. If they want to earn $150K per year, their business will likely have to generate nearly one million dollars in gross sales. As an INTRApreneur, they have all the rewards and income of building their business in the context of a bigger business, but they don’t have to worry about HR, payroll, taxes, or other distractions. The best overall OOH reps see themselves as good businesspeople who happen to sell out of home.

A very robust sales intern program will not only provide sales department assistance but will also be a great farm system for your sales staff. Even if interns are not looking to go into sales with your company, they may have friends or acquaintances they can refer.

I am surprised at the number of OOH operators who ignore the use of leadership assessment tools when recruiting top sales talent.

One tool, The DiSC assessment tool online costs between $30 and $80 per test. An extensive leadership assessment by a licensed industrial psychologist cost just under $3000. These are extremely small investments considering the huge upside in landing a key sales rep and the long-term loss of a bad hire.,

Some operators believe these tools are a little “voodoo”. They have been vetted since 1928 in research and practical application and proven to be 80%-90% valid.  They will help discern a candidate’s suitability more completely and faster than any other tool. If you doubt the efficacy of these tools spend the $30-$80 to determine your own profile.

I am often asked about the ideal educational background for a top sales hire. Local OOH media sales is one of the most egalitarian pursuits I know of. It doesn’t require any prior formal education. If your company arms reps with the proper training, it is simply applying success strategies and tactics consistently to produce a high level of sales.

THE OOH SALES ACADEMY IS HERE!  It is the training you wish you had to gain a competitive advantage when selling out of home advertising.

My live/real-time online course starts Tuesday July 16 (registration deadline is July 9) via ZOOM and runs for 12 weeks. Attendance is limited.

This course will build skill, confidence, and product belief in OOH Sales. It will benefit sales reps who are new to media sales, new to the OOH industry, and experienced sales reps who need to re-energize their OOH skills through fresh ideas.

You can find the course information by clicking this link: https://oohsalesfaster.com/sales-academy/

I am a proud member of the OAAA

Question? Contact me at KevinJGephart@gmail.com

To receive a free morning newsletter with each day’s Billboard insider articles email info@billboardinsider.com with the word “Subscribe” in the title.  Our newsletter is free and we don’t sell our subscriber list.

Paid Advertisement