Question

Write up 2 pages about the case below, including these elements (What is the main idea of the article?,What are you own personal thoughts, ideas, reflections?, How might apply the ideas in the article in practice? o Sharing personal experiences is a plus)

Despite millions of dollars spent on combating the high turnover rate among insurance agents, the rate—approximately 50% within the first year and 80% within the first three years—had remained steady for the more than 35 years preceding the publication of Mayer and Greenberg’s 1964 article. The authors devoted seven years of research to studying the problem of the ineffectiveness of large numbers of salespeople. They discovered flaws in the established methods of selection and revealed the two basic qualities that any good salesperson must have: empathy and ego drive.

Empathy, in this context, is the central ability to feel as other people do in order to sell them a product or service; a buyer who senses a salesperson’s empathy will provide him with valuable feedback, which will in turn facilitate the sale. The authors define the second of the two qualities, ego drive, as the personal desire and need to make the sale—not because of the money to be gained but because the salesperson feels he has to. For sales reps with strong ego drives, every sale is a conquest that dramatically improves their self-perception. In the dynamic relationship between empathy and ego drive, each must work to reinforce the other.

Why did the executives that Mayer and Greenberg studied continue to hire salespeople who did not have the ability to perform well? The companies were hindered in the preselection process by flaws in the prevailing forms of aptitude testing. Test takers could easily give answers they knew the test givers wanted to hear, in part because the tests sought to identify particular psychological traits rather than the personality type most capable of selling.

Answer 1

The idea of the article is to understand the sales process and the salesperson qualities which are required in the effectivness of business. Empathy and ego drive are two important elements that a salerperson should have. Selection process is what makes a good sales team, finding out the best in people and taking personality test of each candidate is important. Flaws of selection and correct measure to identify a good salesperson is being put forward in the article.

Sales is a very common but equally as important as anything else in any business. I consider each person as a salesperson,be it a product, service or ourself. A true salesperson has conscientiousness, he is respectful takes initative, has positive attitude and is persistent. Placing yourself in the shoes of a customer is important for a salesperson in order to understand what a customer is looking for. How you should be treated when you walk in the store or to get a service. Same way a excellent salesperson should provide a service to its customers. he shold be happy to help in every situation.

I will share my personal experience being a salesperson for more than 10 years now. Selection process is a vital point for any human resource team in order to find out is a person best for the job. Many companies shortlist candidates just on their own selection process rather than going through the psychological aspect of a person. Understanding a person and his abilities for sales process has to be considered a priority. Interview is used by everyone from the experienced who used it effectively to the very inexperienced individual who talks too much, does not listen, and asks the wrong questions. Most interviewers usually make a decision in the first five minutes and then spend the rest of the interview searching for evidence to support their decision.

Companies need to study their own unique situations and develop their individual combination of techniques that when used together will yield the best results. Sales management must wake up to the fact that there is not a quick, easy, cheap solution to the sales selection process.

Following are some rules which can be followed in the selection process

1. The basic abilities of successful salespeople and the techniques to identify them should be determined

2.  The position to be filled should be analyzed on the basis of job description, the hiring process and company trainings the key tasks, knowledge, skills and abilities should be determined

3. To have multiple hiring process in order to have right candidate for the right position.

With my personal experience a good salesperson should be able to adapt in any situation in order to achive its goals. Teamwork, hardwork, persence of mind are important factors along with honesty and willingness to help others. Understanding the product and our customers in the basic of sales process. Customer service and ability to handle the situation is key to sucess. Then comes customer engagement and upselling and cross selling and training. Companies need to adapt to right selection process in order to achive its goals.