�ݺ�ߣ

Editor's Notes

• #2: Times are tough—with little indication of a dramatic turnaround anytime soon. ■ The economic downturn is having a drastic effect on operating margins, including decreased revenues, increased price pressure, and excess capacity. ■ Economists have concluded there is one trillion dollars worth of excess capacity in the U.S. alone. ■ While it will take some time to fully utilize that one trillion dollars in excess capacity, the exact amount of time is dependent on the rate of economic recovery. ■ Even if the economy rebounds at a steady growth rate similar to that coming out of the last recession—2.3%—it will still take three years to get back to the pre-recession position. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current market conditions are wreaking havoc on sales rep confidence. ■ Sales reps do not believe they will be able to achieve their annual sales goals. ■ Making matters worse is that nearly two-thirds of all sales reps are unsatisfied with the business and sales skill training provided by their companies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sales reps are less engaged and putting in less effort, but are less likely to leave your company. ■ Sales rep engagement has declined precipitously across the past year. ■ As a result, the average sales rep is putting in less discretionary effort. ■ Core performing sales reps are less likely to look for a new job, while high performing sales reps are more likely to look for a new job.
• #3: The economic downturn has changed how customers conduct business and interact with suppliers. ■ In response to the global economic decline, customers reduce operating expenses through aggressive budget cuts. ■ These budget cuts change operating procedures and lower risk tolerance within organizations. ■ The simultaneous global contraction in spending creates a buyer’s market, where customers expect suppliers to make generous concessions in exchange for continued business. ■ This buyer’s market mentality puts significant downward pressure on both supplier revenue and supplier margins.
• #4: Current market conditions are wreaking havoc on sales rep confidence. ■ Sales reps do not believe they will be able to achieve their annual sales goals. ■ Making matters worse is that nearly two-thirds of all sales reps are unsatisfied with the business and sales skill training provided by their companies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sales organizations are using a wide range of approaches to equip reps for changing customer behavior. ■ In response to changing customer behaviors sales organizations are going “back to basics.” ■ The specific interpretation of “back to basics” varies by company, but generally means focusing sales reps on traditional approaches to sales effectiveness. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sales reps are less engaged and putting in less effort, but are less likely to leave your company. ■ Sales rep engagement has declined precipitously across the past year. ■ As a result, the average sales rep is putting in less discretionary effort. ■ Core performing sales reps are less likely to look for a new job, while high performing sales reps are more likely to look for a new job.
• #5: To identify the sales skills associated with success in a tough economy, iSEC surveyed managers about the skills of sales reps worldwide. Survey Details ■ Each manager assesses one star and two core sales reps across a comprehensive set of 44 attributes. ■ In this analysis, direct managers evaluate 683 sales reps from across 23 Integrated Sales Executive Council member companies. ■ Managers assess whether the sales reps are more or less likely to exhibit certain sales-related attitudes, skills/behaviors, knowledge, and activities. ■ Analysis uses the most recent annual sales results to derive drivers of success. ■ The results enable organizations to understand which capabilities to select for and build when making hiring and development
• #6: Sales reps fall into one of five distinct profiles. ■ The profiles are determined using factor analysis to identify common groups of skills or behaviors.
• #7: Sales reps fall into one of five distinct profiles. ■ The profiles are determined using factor analysis to identify common groups of skills or behaviors.
• #8: Challengers are far more likely to be high performers than any other profile. All profiles are roughly equal in occurrence in the total population. Challengers and Lone Wolves are more likely to be high performers than core performers. Lone Wolves can be successful if the environment matches their natural style, but regardless of success they pose a significant management challenge. Hard Workers and Problem Solvers are more likely to be core performers than high performers. The Relationship Builder is significantly more likely to be a core performer than a high performer.
• #9: The Challenger excels in three areas which enable success in today’s environment. ■ The differentiating characteristic of the Challenger is the ability to teach the customer unique insights that are tailored to the customer’s unique value drivers, in an assertive, authoritative way. ■ The Challenger also excels in other areas, such as product and industry knowledge, but these strengths are not statistically significant when analyzed on their own.
• #10: Relationship Builder attributes are in conflict with the attributes driving the Challenger’s success. While Relationship Builders are focused on resolving tension and creating a more collaborative, agreeable environment, Challengers succeed because they create constructive tension with the customer. The Challenger profile focuses on building constructive tension in customer interactions to push the customer out of his comfort zone. The Relationship Builder profile focuses on resolving tension in customer interactions to make situations more amicable and positive and encourage collaboration.
• #11: The Challenger profile is far more likely to be a high performer in a complex environment than any other profile. ■ Given the trend towards greater complexity in sales interactions across all industries, the Challenger profile is the best profile to seek in hiring situations and build with development programs.
• #12: Replicating the new high performer requires building out the Challenger profile in your sales force. ■ The Challenger profile is the best profile in the current economic environment and will become even more important as the complexity of each sale increases. ■ The Relationship Builder profile is the worst performance profile in the current economic environment and will become even worse as the complexity of each sale increases. ■ The key to success for the Challenger profi le is the ability to teach, tailor, and assert control.
• #13: Replicating the new high performer requires building out the Challenger profile in your sales force. ■ The Challenger profile is the best profile in the current economic environment and will become even more important as the complexity of each sale increases. ■ The Relationship Builder profile is the worst performance profile in the current economic environment and will become even worse as the complexity of each sale increases. ■ The key to success for the Challenger profi le is the ability to teach, tailor, and assert control.