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It's time to gain an appreciation of how he
or she is likely to go about selling. There are many models used for classifying
behavior in this area. The model we will be referring to here is known as the
DISC model, which was initially developed by Dr. Carl Jung and Dr. William
Marston. The DISC profiles we use in our practice were developed and supplied by
TTI Performance Systems.
The acronym DISC refers to the four basic communication styles evaluated in this
model: Driver, Influencer, Steadiness, and Compliance.
The Driver mindset reflects the person's ability to act assertively in dealing with
problems. The higher the Driver quotient, the more likely the person is to
take an active or aggressive approach to challenges; the lower the Driver
quotient, the more likely one is to accept challenge in a conservative manner
and avoid conflict.
The Influencer mindset reflects the
person's willingness to be outgoing in dealing with other people. The higher
the Influencer quotient, the more likely a person is to be chatty and take an
active role in a conversation. The lower the rating, the more likely someone is
to take a withdrawn approach. People with low Influencer quotients are sometimes
perceived as being aloof, skeptical, or heavily reliant on logical skills.
The Steadiness mindset has to do with how
a person deals with change. A high Steadiness quotient means the individual
is likely to actively resist change and prefer a slow pace. A low quotient in
this area means the person will seek out change, and is likely to thrive in a
fast-paced environment.
The Compliance mindset connects with the
way an individual responds to rules, procedures, and constraints. A high
quotient in this area means the person is likely to follow the rules and
regulations set by others. A low quotient in this area indicates that the person
is likely to try to establish his or her own rules.
Different types of sales situations require salespeople to act differently.
Certain candidates will impress you as having strong initial
tendencies in some areas, while others may
not. Depending on the sales situation, sometimes a lower rating in an area is
more preferable than a higher rating. Which type of ratings match up best with
which categories of selling? The following breakdown will help you match the
applicant with the setting in which you hope to see him or her succeed.
WHO GOES WHERE?
To sell major accounts, a salesperson
should ideally show mid-range Driver characteristics -- the ability to move
things forward without being overly aggressive. He or she should show a
mid-range Influencer mindset, without coming on too strong in this area; the
salesperson will need to feel comfortable in building rapport and relationships.
The successful major account salesperson will have strong Steadiness tendencies,
as befits a loyal team player. And this person's reliance on the Compliance
mindset is usually somewhat below average; the individual will have a fair
amount of respect for the rules, but will not instinctively operate as though
hamstrung by regulations.
To develop territory and build new
markets, a successful salesperson needs a low Steadiness quotient, because
this job involves a lot of change, and requires the ability to act in a
fast-paced environment. The Driver quotient will be somewhat above average,
signifying a higher level of aggressiveness, and the need to drive business
ahead relatively fast. The Influencer outlook is also above-average, leading to
strong rapport-building skills, but usually not as pronounced as the Driver
characteristics. The Compliance outlook is below average.
To service and maintain accounts, a
successful salesperson needs above-average Steadiness and Influencer tendencies,
because continuity and rapport-building skills are essential in this kind of
sales situation. The Driver tendencies are below average -- the need here is not
to close sales aggressively, but to keep the status quo intact. The Compliance
outlook is average.
To take orders -- that is, to succeed in
a reactive or inside-sales situation -- an individual is likely to have few
if any Driver tendencies. (Aggression is definitely not the name of the game
here.) The Influencer tendencies are average or slightly below average; this
person is pleasant to speak with, but does not have to be well liked. (After
all, the customer called him or her!) The Steadiness tendencies are quite high,
as is the Compliance outlook; continuity and "playing by the rules"
being hallmarks for success in this area.
Make sure -- for your sake and the applicant's -- that the behavioral style of
the person you're interviewing matches the type of selling for which you're
considering the person.
A few years ago, my firm was asked by a telecommunications company to provide a
behavioral (DISC) profile for all its outside sales representatives in a
particular region. We produced the profiles and compared all the graphs of the
top performers against the graphs of the low performers.
In the top performers, we saw some intriguing commonalities. All were above
average in the Driver and Influencer measurements, and below average in the
Steadiness factors. The low performers, on the other hand, were consistently
above average in the Steadiness area. This led me to ask management one
question: "Were most of the low performers promoted from customer
service?" The answer: "Yes!"
That was their problem. They had tried to move people who excelled in customer
service (maintaining relationships in an environment that was stable and had
little change) into a sales situation that was full of change and uncertainty.
Cold calling was certainly not likely to be seen by such a person as part of a
stable work environment. No wonder these people were floundering!
This is not to say that you should never promote good customer service people to
outside sales positions. But you must make sure a given candidate has a good
chance of adapting to the selling situation he or she will face!
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