Business Results & Personal Development
for CEOs & Key Executives
Home   |   About Us   |   Lit Request   |   Contact Us   |   View Ensellopedia.com
847-208-8709         Email  
Download Free Article

"Best Practices for Managing
in the Best of Times"
Best Practices
Business Results   »
Personal Development  »
Growth Coaching
Executive  »
Sales Manager »
Sales Rep  »
Chally Tools
Sales Reps  »
Sales Management  »
Managers  »
Executives  »
Vistage / TEC Tools
Vistage Works   »
CEO Peer Groups  »
Key Executive Groups  »
Trusted Advisors  »
Request Literature
Sales Recruiting  »
Sales Compensation  »
Exceptional Managers  »
Resource Links

Outbound Telesales Rep Profile:
Compare High Performers to Low Producers

Position Overview: Requires excellent product knowledge, the ability to tailor ones’ presentation to individual customers and react convincingly to customer concerns and the desire to constantly pursue new sales opportunities; this is driven by the ability to work long hours in order to achieve goals.

Predictive Skills: Six characteristics will predict telesales rep success in this sales position. Review below how top sales performers will differ from lower performers.

MAKES PERSUASIVE PRESENTATIONS

Excites the customer with an enthusiastic presentation style; demonstrates value and actively promotes products and services by making an emotional appeal; holds the customer’s attention and interest by keeping the presentation content relevant; varies style to build toward a buying decision

HIGHS

  • Makes formal presentations that focus on creating an impact while communicating information
  • Has the potential to capture and hold the audience's attention
  • Takes charge and keeps control of the information being communicated through a presentation that is polished and rehearsed
  • Varies his style and content to appeal to the audience
  • Projects his enthusiasm about a solution to the audience, moving them closer to a buying decision
  • Monitors audience response and adjusts his presentation to stay on target

LOWS

  • May be more comfortable with establishing a dialogue that emphasizes listening and an exchange of ideas than with making an impact on the audience
  • Uses presentations to entertain rather than inform or persuade
  • Sticks too closely to a script and does not vary the content or emphasis to address the needs of each audience
  • Too focused on the mechanics of the presentation itself to pay attention to audience understanding and concurrence
  • Cannot easily adjust to a nonsupportive audience response and may rush an ineffective presentation just to finish it rather than alter the presentation to change that response

NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Takes a proactive approach to finding additional business opportunities; is comfortable with the networking and cold calling needed to find new prospects and customers; takes the lead in meeting people and building a contact base for new business development

HIGHS

  • Investigates all possibilities in a quest for additional business
  • Remains focused on the objective of expanding the customer base
  • Gives priority to building a contact base for new business development
  • Comfortable cold calling on prospects and building a network of contacts to find new leads
  • Keeps a high profile in organizations or activities that attract the interest of prospective customers

LOWS

  • Becomes discouraged by rejection and waits for prospects to raise their hands in interest
  • Treats prospecting as an activity to occupy slow periods
  • Lacks persistence in seeking new business opportunities
  • Timid about meeting people with the intent to interest them in his product offering
  • Uncomfortable with the personal interactions required to build the network of contacts needed to continually supply additional business leads

ENDURANCE

Keeps up a brisk pace without becoming fatigued; pushes physical resources to the limit during periods of peak demand; prides himself on the amount of work accomplished; approaches work with considerable energy and stamina despite distractions or unreasonable demands

HIGHS

  • Shows the capacity to work rapidly and efficiently, completing a considerable volume of work within tight deadlines, often in the midst of continuous change and shifting priorities
  • Tends to be highly energized and keeps up a brisk pace without becoming fatigued
  • Takes pride in being a hard worker and accomplishing a significant amount of work
  • Continues to push during periods of peak demand, exhausting his physical resources, then resuming an active pace after immediately replenishing his energy and endurance

LOWS

  • Adopts a methodical and deliberate pace that minimizes the potential for making mistakes
  • Experiences reduced physical capacity when faced with significant physical challenges or external pressures and may require an extended period of rest before tackling that volume of work again
  • May physically burn out too quickly by trying to do too much (tends to burn the candle at both ends)

ANSWERS OBJECTIONS BY REINFORCING STANDARD FEATURES/BENEFITS

Recognizes that the limited opportunity for negotiation requires a probing of customer objections to uncover the 'hot button' that established or standard features and benefits will address; actively listens and clarifies benefits; is well-informed of features and benefits; helps the customer understand why the proposed product offering is the best alternative

HIGHS

  • Brings objections to the surface and tackles them head-on
  • Chips away at objections rather than sidestep or give up on them
  • Listens to and agrees with the validity of the customer’s concern
  • Familiar with a wide variety of products, along with their features and benefits
  • Understands the benefits that can pull a customer out of an established buying habit and into a better solution
  • Convinces the customer that the seller offers the best buy
  • Presents relevant information that will dispose of the objection, keeping the answer complete and concise

LOWS

  • Misinterprets unspoken objections as nonexistent objections
  • Dismisses objections without validating the customer's concerns
  • Is argumentative in an effort to overcome versus resolve objections
  • Responds emotionally to objections or resistance perceived to be a personal attack
  • Overcomes concerns with textbook answers versus understanding and resolving them
  • Lacks information about the product/benefits, giving inconclusive answers that leave objections unresolved
  • Gives a long-winded explanation with more information than is required to gain the customer's cooperation and commitment, clouding the issue and possibly exerting pressure for an answer
  • Promises more than the product can reasonably deliver

DEVELOPS RELEVANT PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE SPECIFIC TO CUSTOMER NEEDS

Possesses a working knowledge of products and applications as the backbone for understanding customers’ needs and making suggestions for solutions; keeps abreast of (or contributes to) product/service developments, changes, and improvements designed to enhance competitiveness and achieve market preeminence; concentrates on acquiring knowledge that is less comprehensive and more focused on what specifically impacts the customer; builds knowledge base through real-world applications; uses product knowledge as a means to an end in providing appropriate suggestions to meet specific customer needs

HIGHS

  • Acquires the necessary knowledge of products and product sales strategies required to keep on target with client needs
  • Has the confidence in his expertise to establish himself as an effective resource
  • Believes that there is always something new to learn
  • Recognizes that his credibility as a resource to customers is dependent upon the frequency and thoroughness with which he updates his product and applications knowledge

LOWS

  • Prefers to acquire knowledge through a personal sharing of information and hands-on observation
  • Taps a variety of individuals as resources and builds his pool of knowledge from the knowledge and experiences of others
  • Prefers to focus on the big picture and may not develop an awareness of product modifications at a more detailed level
  • Thinks he can stay ahead of the customer with only a superficial understanding of products and applications
  • Believes that most recent developments are cosmetic and do not require investigation
  • Embarrassed to admit he does not know something, and rather than ask for help, can inefficiently invest time poring over written materials or waiting for a formal training opportunity
  • Absorbs information more effectively through a structured learning process than by listening to and learning from others in a less formal manner

COMMITS TIME AND EFFORT TO ENSURE SUCCESS

Thrives on working; tends to achieve higher results in direct proportion to the time he is willing to commit to his work; remains focused on the goal and is not easily discouraged or distracted; uses work as an opportunity for interaction and incorporates interpersonal contacts into task accomplishment; sees work as a major source of personal satisfaction

HIGHS

  • Commits time and resources to results accomplishment that surpasses what is just acceptable or expected
  • Is dedicated to achieving business results, even at some personal sacrifice
  • Defines himself to a great extent by his work and derives personal satisfaction from his success and accomplishments in his career
  • Builds into his schedule the time required to lay the groundwork and develop the plans for achieving his work objectives
  • Retains control of his objectives by preparing action steps and evaluating his progress
  • Remains focused when the commitment to his work is threatened by internal or external distractions
  • Enjoys finding opportunities to mix personal interaction with goal accomplishment

LOWS

  • Seeks a balance in his professional and personal commitments that inevitably limits the time and resources devoted to his work
  • Is more inclined to work a set schedule of hours than to commit resources as required by the objective
  • Distinguishes personal time from work and career commitments and is not likely to make consistent sacrifices in his personal life to accommodate extraordinary advancements in his work objectives
  • Becomes distracted by unexpected obstacles or may not effectively plan to deal with his job demands
  • May not recognize that opportunities to advance his goals can be present in the personal interactions that occur in the workplace

Request a sample candidate report