8 Personal Characteristics and

Sales Aptitude: Criteria for

Selecting Salespeople

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 War for Talent

 Total cost of turnover

 Separation costs
 Replacement costs
 Training costs
 Select candidates with natural
capacity for key job
requirements

Source: HR Chally Group (2007).

8-2
 "Are good salespeople born or
made?"
 Define characteristics of
successful salespeople

8-3
Costs of Inappropriate Selection


Odds a salesperson will quit or be
terminated in first five years of
employment = 50/50

People lacking necessary personal
traits/abilities tend to leave before
training and experience can make them
productive sales performers

Many firms may spend between $7000
and $100,000 annually training a new
recruit

Three to twelve months before a new rep
generates adequate sales to cover
compensation and expenses

8-4
 Salespeople Born or Made?

 Training and development are

critical determinants of future
success.
 A strong ego, self-confidence,
decisiveness, and a need for
achievement must also be
preexisting in sales force
candidates.

8-5
Variables That Cause Differences in
Performance
 Factors controlled or influenced by
sales mangers account for the
largest variance in sales
performance.
 Role perception
 Skills
 Motivation
 Research suggests successful
salespeople are both born and
made!

8-6
Characteristics Managers Seek

 Enthusiasm
 Organizational skills
 Ambition
 Persuasiveness
 Communication skills
 General sales experience

8-7
 8.1 German-American Cross
Cultural Business Differences
German American

Deference for High Lower

authority
Leadership style Formal Casual

Respect for titles Important Less important

Relationships Formal Casual

Mix work and play No Yes

Dress Formal Casual

Multilingual Yes Not always

Source: “Seven German–American Cross Cultural Business Differences,” SellingPower.com, October 2007. 8-8
 8.3 The Educated Sales Force
Percent with College Degree by Industry
Health service 100 Electronic components 67
Pharmaceuticals 100 Communications 56
Air transportation 100 Banking 46
Printing/Publishing 84 Construction 40
Rubber/Plastics 83 Trucking/Warehousing 33
Manufacturing 78 Real estate 33
Electronics 77 Retail 29
Chemicals 73 Transportation equipment 28
Business services 72

Source: Christen P. Heide, Dartnell’s 30th Sales Force Compensation Survey (Chicago: The Dartnell Corporation, 1999), p. 173. 8-9
 8.3
Women in sales and
sales management
positions:
percentages by
industry

Source: Christen P. Heide, Dartnell’s 30th Sales Force Compensation Survey (Chicago: Dartnell Corporation, 1999), p. 171. 8-10
 Compensation levels of men and women in sales and
marketing careers

8.4
Source: Erin Strout, “Tough Sell,” Sales & Marketing Management, July 2001, p. 52 and Laine Chroust Ehmann “Great 8-11
Opportunities: How the Future Looks for Women in Sales and Management, SellingPower.com, October 2007.
 The aging sales force
8.5
Source: Katherine Kaplan, “Better with Age,” Sales & Marketing Management, July 2001, pp. 58–62. 8-12
 8.2a The Importance of Image

What type of sales representative has a tougher time making

sales?
A sloppily dressed sales rep 94%

An unstylish sales rep (haircut, out of style outfit) 75

A physically unattractive sales rep 59

An overweight sales rep 54

A sales rep with a heavy accent 54

A very young looking sales rep 32

An older looking sales rep 8

Source: Melinda Ligos, “Does Image Matter?” Sales & Marketing Management, March 2001, pp. 52–56. 8-13
 8.2b The Importance of Image

What type of sales representative would you avoid hiring?

A sloppy dresser 80%
A rep who used salty language 78
A rep with visible body piercing or tattoos 77
An unstylish look 51
Male overweight 37
Female overweight 23
A heavy regional foreign accent 20
An unattractive female 20
An unattractive male 13
A very youthful appearance 12
Any older look 2
Source: Melinda Ligos, “Does Image Matter?” Sales & Marketing Management, March 2001, pp. 52–56. 8-14
 8.6 The characteristics of salespeople who win customer trust

Source: Source: Sales & Marketing Management, February 2001, p. 90. 8-15
 Characteristics related to sales performance in different types of
8.7 sales jobs

8-16
Implications for Management
Begin
recruiting
and selection

Develop
new recruit specifications

Evaluate characteristics
to perform tasks and activities

Analyze/describe tasks and activities

8-17