The concept of talent management emerged into the business mindset ten years ago and is gaining momentum rapidly. A recently published Conference Board report defines talent as:

"Any individual or group who have the capability to make a signific
ant difference to the current and future performance of the company."

While this is a broad view of talent, nowhere is the need for top talent more important to an organization’s bottom line than in its SALES PEOPLE. How important? Findings published in McKinsey and Company’s landmark survey, War for Talent 2000, revealed that "high" sales performers generate annual revenues that are 67% higher than "average" sales performers! That alone makes a compelling case for implementing effective talent selection strategies for your sales positions.

Excellent sales skills in areas such as prospecting, qualifying, demonstrating and closing are important in selecting sales talent. So are sales experience and quality references from previous employment. However, if the specific SALES POSITION has not been assessed first for the required priority of personal skills, motivators and behaviors, then choosing the right sales talent will remain a costly guessing game.

Those familiar with the sales profession know that the priority of required personal skills can vary greatly, depending on the sales position to be filled. A person who excels in selling low cost commodities over the phone, for example, may not be equally successful in selling high end, exclusive real estate properties face to face. The first sales position may require a personal skills priority of persistence, handling stress and dealing with rejection. The latter sales position may require a personal skills priority of persuading others, people reading, and an empathetic outlook.

What personal skills are most required by your sales positions?

The organization’s rewards and overall culture also have major implications for choosing successful sales people. Rewards will be different. Consider a relatively stable, patient culture focused on selling support services versus a non-structured, highly competitive culture focused on selling new technology and attaining aggressive sales targets. Each will require sales talent that fits with the culture and feels rewarded working in that environment.

What are the motivators inherent in your sales positions?

Your organization’s customer set is another important consideration in selecting successful sales people. Are your customers and prospects consumers, or mainly "C" level executives? Are they detail oriented, or big picture oriented? Your sales people’s behavioral styles need to interact effectively with your customer set. They also need to demonstrate an ability to adapt to different behaviors as required for successful communication in the sales process.

What behavioral characteristics are required for success in your sales positions?

Selecting the right sales talent in each of the above areas is critical to sustaining and accelerating your organization’s success. The first step is to define the unique talents required by YOUR organization’s sales positions. Implementing a methodology for defining those talents, then selecting matching talents in your sales candidates will help you maximize your organization’s sales revenues.