Different sales assessments and how to use them

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Different sales assessments and how to use them

January 21, 2011 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Call Reluctance, Coaching, Culture, Emotional Intelligence, Ethics & Values, Prospecting, Recruitment, Sales Assessments, Sales Research, Sales Training, Self Development

If you wanted to, you could sit down for at least four weeks and complete 100’s of sales assessments and there would still be more on offer. This over abundance of sales assessments can be confusing because they are not all the same. If you do not know what you want to measure it will make looking for an effective sales assessment tool that much harder. Here are some questions that may help you select your sales assessments with more precision.

Why will this person sell? (Motives, Ambition, Goals)
Will this person sell? (Attitudes, Mindset, Not Hesitant, Accountable, Energy, Drive)
How does this person sell? (Style, Ethics, Behaviours)
Can this person sell? (Skill, Knowledge, Mindset)
How well can this person sell? (Job match, Values, Perceptive Reasoning, Self Belief, Mastery Mindset)

As stated before, there is no one sales tool that can answer all these questions. So at risk of offending some test providers and users, as I am bound to leave out some assessments that could have been included in this piece, I thought I would share with you the tools that we and many other businesses have found to be the most useful in helping us predict sales performance especially when it comes to sales recruitment.

Measuring Sales Prospecting Fitness
Research shows that only about 20% of sales people are fully effective when prospecting. In use for 30+ years, the SPQ*Gold (Sales Preferences Questionnaire) is a well regarded and widely used assessment designed to specifically detect and measure the emotional response to prospecting – Sales Call Reluctance®. Call Reluctance® is the emotional hesitation to initiate contact with prospective buyers in sufficient numbers to support organisational goals.

40 years of empirical research in prospecting shows the hesitation to initiate first contact with prospective buyers on a consistent daily basis is responsible for the failure of more competent, motivated and capable sales people than any other single factor. The fear of prospecting can cost an average of 15 new units of business per month per sales person. Prospecting is not the most important skill in selling but it is the first thing that has to happen before anything else happens.

Assess the Fear of Prospecting
The fear of prospecting, Sales Call Reluctance® and sales hesitation, an individual’s hesitance to prospect and self-promote for new business, can be objectively measured using the SPQ*Gold® questionnaire. The SPQ*Gold® is an attitude and activity based online assessment that identifies how much initiative, energy and drive an individual devotes to proactive sales prospecting and the amount of energy spent on coping with inhibitors such as fear. The SPQ*Gold® is the only tool that measures the prospecting fitness of people in sales, sales management and customer contact careers. It is best suited for anyone responsible for meeting sales and revenue targets whether you call yourself a sales person or not.

SPQ*Gold helps you answer these 3 business questions:

How much will they produce?
How soon will it happen?
What will it cost you to get that performance out of them?

Applications

Administered online via user name and password sourced via an accredited provider.
The SPQ*GOLD® can be used for recruitment and development purposes to measure prospecting fitness. It produces individual selection reports, team summary reports, and development and coaching reports.
SPQ*Gold will NOT measure personality, motivators and values, communication styles, emotional intelligence, leadership styles and derailers, or cognitive attributes and abilities (IQ).

Measuring Sales Performance Characteristics and Style
SPI-Q (Sales Performance Insight Questionnaire) is the latest and most comprehensive sales assessment tool in the marketplace. The Sales Performance Insights Questionnaire (SPI-Q) has been developed in Australia by Performance Insights and focuses on the attributes that are uniquely relevant to sales. It is the only product in the market that predicts the multi-dimensional characteristics required by today’s sales professionals, and measures the subtle but critical characteristics that differentiate successful sales people. The questionnaire measures 25 Sales Attributes, clustered into three broad domains:

Compelling Relationships – measures the preferences the individual has when working with clients and developing relationships i.e. Impact, Credibility, Insight, Attentiveness, Initiation, Influence, Social Leverage, Client Engagement and Negotiation.
Perceptive Reasoning – measures how the individual processes information and makes judgments relating to client issues and solutions i.e. Research, Exploration, Agility, Pursues Learning, Creativity, Structure, Quality Orientation, Rational, Specialist and Judgement.
Channelled Energy – measures the motivators and levers which drive the individual to succeed i.e. Authenticity, Resilience, Self Belief, Recovery, Motivation and Sales Drive.

The questionnaire has been designed to be highly pragmatic and user-friendly (requiring minimal training) with standard interpreted report outputs which are adapted based on the individual’s results. The SPI-Q is a self-report questionnaire and the accuracy of this profile depends on how honest the individual has been when completing the questionnaire as well as their self-awareness. It reflects their preferred style rather than their ability. However, research shows that people’s responses to personality questionnaires can act as a good predictor of how they are likely to behave on the job. There is no one ‘perfect profile’.

Applications

Administered online via user name and password sourced via an accredited provider.
The SPI-Q can be used for recruitment and development purposes. It produces individual reports along with accompanying team summary reports, development and coaching reports.
SPI-Q will NOT measure values, leadership styles & derailers, cognitive attributes and abilities or prospecting fitness.

These two tools would be my first choice when recruiting sales people. If you want to measure Culture Fit, Motives and Values, Leadership Style and Derailers, Emotional Intelligence (EQ) or Cognitive Abilities (IQ) then we recommend the following tools, which while they are not sales specific, have been widely used in sales and sales leadership.

Measuring Culture Fit and Values: The Hogan Motives, Values and Preferences Inventory (MVPI) measures ten core values found in most cultures throughout history i.e. Aesthetics, Affiliation, Altruistic, Commerce, Hedonism, Power, Recognition, Science, Security and Tradition. It is not sales specific, however, it provides vital information to managers about how to coach and manage their sales people in terms of motivators, values and drivers. The MVPI provides useful data about the kind of work environment the candidate prefers. Measuring organisational fit is critical to staff retention and cultural engagement.

Measuring Leadership Style and Derailing Behaviours: Most business leaders have coping behaviours they draw on when under pressure. The Hogan Development Survey (HDS) measures strategies and behaviours leaders have developed over time (even from childhood) to cope with increased levels of pressure whether due to change, high stress, multi-tasking, work saturation, an unhappy environment or being outside of their comfort zone. The HDS is not purpose built for sales leaders however it has a wide body or research on sales leadership with relevant norm groups to refer to. Research shows that most leaders display at least one coping style. In measuring extremes of personality then, it is very important to remember that these can have highly positive implications. There is, however, always a potential downside to extremes because if they are not managed effectively or appropriately they can become problematic. When business leaders, especially sales leaders, are not managing their interpersonal façade well (perhaps because of stress, pressure, deadlines, etc.) these extremes can emerge unchecked and upset the delicate balance of teamwork and interpersonal relationships.

Measuring Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Emotional Intelligence (EQ) involves a set of skills that define how effectively people perceive, understand, reason with and manage their own and others’ feelings. These skills are cornerstones to successful selling, as emotions are an inherent part of why people buy and why they do not. The Genos Model of workplace Emotional Intelligence comprises seven specific EI skills critical to successful selling i.e. Emotional Self-Awareness, Emotional Expression, Emotional Awareness of Others, Emotional Reasoning, Emotional Self-Management, Emotional Management of Others and Emotional Self-Control. Each skill can apply to successful selling.

Measuring Cognitive Attributes and Abilities (IQ): There are no sales specific attributes and abilities assessments that we know of, however, good quality Attributes and Abilities assessments have been around for over 50 years. They are often referred to as IQ tests. They are widely available through accredited providers and most organisational psychologists. They are becoming more applicable because more sales and many leadership roles, especially sophisticated or more complex sales markets, require high level thinking abilities such as:

Verbal – verbal fluency, vocabulary and ability to understand and reason using words.
Numerical – ability to use and understand numerical concepts, reason using numbers and perceive logical relationships between them.
Abstract – the ability to think clearly and make sense of complexity, which is known as educative ability and the ability to store and reproduce information, known as reproductive ability.
Critical Thinking – the ability to clarify goals, examine assumptions, discern hidden values, evaluate evidence, accomplish actions and assess conclusions.

We do not use single assessments. Instead, we combine tools to give us a more complete picture.
Different sales roles in different industries require different attributes for success. Thus, profiles should be interpreted with reference to a specific role and its requirements. It is important that the data from any assessment be combined with other sources of information about the individual when making decisions, particularly in selection settings. Most assessments have a shelf life of 18–24 months and should be treated confidentially. If there are major changes in an individual’s life or work, this could change some of the attributes in some assessments. If you wish to use recruitment grade assessments for sales selection, I hope this helps you make a more informed decision.

To order an online assessment today, please call Barrett on 03 9532 7677 or for further information click on this link www.barrett.com.au/assessments

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au

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What is the ideal sales assessment tool to use when recruiting sales people? Part 1

January 13, 2011 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Call Reluctance, Recruitment, Sales Assessments

For many years people have been searching for the perfect sales assessment tool. Why? Because identifying and retaining high performing sales talent continues to elude many organisations. It has become even more important with products losing their competitive edge and sales success becoming hinged squarely around the capabilities and performance inputs and outputs of sales people.

I have been using psychometric assessments as part of my work for more than 20 years now. In my business alone we have assessed more than 70,000 people in sales, sales management and leadership roles using a variety of high quality assessment tools for both selection and development purposes. The tools we use are designed to measure Cognitive Abilities, Personality (i.e. sales, leadership and everyday styles), Motives & Values, Call Reluctance and Coping & Derailing Behaviours.

We favour well researched, well built, validated assessments constructed by professional psychometricians because, like diagnostic tools used in medicine and other scientific applications, good assessments are calibrated to measure specific aspects of self. However, like most instruments they are not perfect. We are always looking at what’s happening in the world of assessments and we can report that there are thousands of assessments promising all sorts of things. However, we find that many of them are junk and nothing better than a Cleo quiz which adds nothing to your selection process.

All this research has also revealed that the perfect sales assessment tool does not exist. Trying to measure all the things we want to know about sales people and leaders with one assessment is unrealistic and virtually impossible. However, what we do know is that the latest research into modern sales assessments is showing subtle difference between:

Influence and Negotiation
Impact and Credibility
Initiation and Social Leverage
Resilience and Self Belief

We are now seeing more purpose built sales assessment tools that are designed to measures key qualities such as:

Creating Compelling Relationships – measuring the preferences the individual has when working with clients and developing relationships
Perceptive Reasoning – measuring how the individual processes information and makes judgments relating to client issues and solutions
Channelled Energy – measuring the motivators and levers which drive the individual to succeed
Contact Initiation – measuring the emotional response to prospecting and the amount of initiative, energy and drive devoted to proactive prospecting as well as the amount of energy spent in coping with inhibiting influences such as fear

Effectively predicting sales success is critical to any business’ success and using well designed, rigorous psychometric assessments as part of a sales selection process can really boost our chances of finding and retaining the right sales people for our business. However, many people look to psychometric assessments as the panacea, the quick fix, the one source of information that will give them the answer to the question ‘How can I tell if this person will sell and make me lots of money?’ This too is a mistake.

Therefore, to get the most value out of psychometric assessments when applied to your sales selection process you might like to consider these important points:

1. Use as part of a selection process: Psychometric assessments should be used in concert with other validated selection tools such as structured behavioural interviews, competency based simulation exercises and structured reference checks where findings can be cross referenced against core criteria that have been established as relevant to the job and culture in question.

2. Predictive Ability: Psychometric assessments should account for no more than 20% of your decision making criteria. They can never be 100% predictive of performance and if anyone claims an assessment, by itself, can have predictive ability over 60% they are not being truthful. Sadly, many people rely on overly simplistic grid type assessments that are not predictive of sales success nor purpose built for sales recruitment and are even less reliable than ‘gut’ feel.

3. Purpose Built: Use recruitment grade psychometric assessments that have been purpose built to measure specific qualities, abilities or attributes. Quality assessment tools will present information and inform you of the following:

a.   Relevant: Make sure the assessment(s) is designed for use in selection for a ‘normal’ (rather than clinical) population, is calibrated to the appropriate level (e.g. management, supervisory, entry level) and has occupational context i.e. sales.
b.   Practical: Make sure the test/questionnaire is easy to administer, undertake and score. Check what facilities and equipment are required to complete the assessment and how quickly reports can be generated.
c.   Technical quality: Technical information is typically presented in a test manual and hence, the absence of a test manual should raise some doubts. In terms of technical properties, you need to consider: Reliability, Validity and Norm groups (these are common technical terms used in psychometrics). All genuine assessments will provide this data. Wading through statistical information can be dry and confusing for some people. If that includes you, seek the assistance of a Psychologist or other person familiar with the correct use of psychometrics. If you decide to ignore technical evidence, because it all seems too hard, it could be at your peril.

4.   What to measure: You are unlikely to get all the information you need from one assessment. There are a variety of assessments you can use in isolation or in combination and you need to select the ones that will determine what you need to measure for your role. For example:
a.   Cognitive Abilities – verbal and numerical reasoning, conceptual reasoning, critical thinking, mechanical reasoning, etc.
b.   Personality – everyday preferences, personal and learning styles, self management, team orientation, ambition, etc.
c.   Motives & Values – what makes people happy at work, what drives them, what makes them unhappy.
d.   Coping & Derailing Behaviours – learned behaviours and attitudes that can adversely affect sales and leadership performance when under pressure or operating from a fear or frustration.

5. Cost: cost will inevitably be a consideration. In an ideal world you would test everyone with every relevant assessment, however that is not realistic for most businesses. If you have simple screening tools which you use in conjunction with resume and telephone screening this can be useful as long as they are measuring the right things for your role and business. However, these simple tools, while cheap, are not usually robust enough to give you the real detail you need to make informed decisions. Most businesses reserve the more stringent psychometric assessment process until after they have developed a short list of candidates who have been through the initial screening parameters and a thorough Behavioural Interview. By doing it this way you can manage your costs well. A number of our clients use assessments as a mandatory part of their selection processes and incorporate this information across all the findings. This saves them time and money in the long run. So, balance the cost of including psychometric tools in your recruitment process against the cost of one or more poor selection decisions. Which bill would you rather pay?

Getting it right when it comes to hiring your sales team is critical. A successful sales person will not only enable your organisation to ride out the economic uncertainty but will ensure you are ready to seize the opportunities that present during the recovery. As your sales teams are the primary interface between your organisation and your clients, it’s only when you get that interface right that you will achieve true competitive advantage. Using a robust psychometric assessment process as part of your selection strategy can really assist you. Next week we will discuss the different types of sales assessments available to you, and show you how and when you should use them.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au

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A Time for Reflection and Renewal

December 16, 2010 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Success, Tips

As this year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the last 16 years in my own business. A lot has changed, yes, but many things have remained the same too. On 9th January 2011 my business will be 16 years old.

While anniversaries and birthdays are celebrated differently all over the world, a common thread is that they are often marked with a celebration or a rite of passage. So, to mark our 16th year in business, we would like to share with you 16 key lessons we have learnt since the business began. While there are many more than 16 lessons learnt, we thought it fitting to have one for each year.

Lessons learnt over 16 years

Values
Define your values and what you stand for; what is acceptable and what is not in your business and for you. Make your values a part of your daily work habits, your charter and your selection process when hiring people. It helps you to know when to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to trivial or important matters.
Leadership and Humility
Central to management and leadership are trust, respect and openness; listen and learn from your staff, clients, mentors and guides and adjust yourself on your journey to become a proficient, effective leader; build a bridge and get over yourself – don’t let your ego get in the way; follow through; don’t assume anything; be available and responsive; it is important to remember that helping others helps you.
Strategic Planning
Is your vision viable? Can it make money and be self sustaining? Once you have decided to move forward, build a plan. From top to bottom and back up again – strategic to tactical. Review it on an ongoing basis not just once a year; involve all staff in its development; make it actionable, accessible and relevant to every role in the business.
Pick Your Counsel Wisely
Find those people who understand you quickly and easily, who can paraphrase and verify what you have just said. They should bring in different perspectives and help you see links and gaps you may be unaware of. Don’t take them at face value – check that their ideas are valuable and valid – put their comments through the ‘fact versus effect’ filter to see if they are being genuine or not. And don’t pick too many at once because listening to too many people only creates confusion and indecision.
Managing Setbacks
Always confront and resolve issues straight away, as they only get worse when ignored. Never see yourself as a ‘failure’, and always try to learn from your mistakes. You can never fail and succeed as a whole person: you can only fail or succeed at the things you do. Don’t be afraid to take risks – instead take calculated risks, so if your new idea or initiative back fires you haven’t lost everything in the process.
Teachable and Transferable
Build your products or services so they can be easily taught and transferred to your team, and in turn, they can easily sell and deliver them to your clients directly or via channels. And make sure it is always in language your clients can understand.
Trust
Even when things are not going the way you want them to you need to trust your vision and have faith in yourself and others that you will come through. Remember, people buy from people they trust. Trust supersedes like.
Passion
Without passion you just won’t have enough energy or desire to make business success happen. Staying focused is crucial. Think as big as you like then set clear goals and ‘see’ yourself achieving them.
Self Mastery Rather Than Success
If we focus on enjoying rather than proving ourselves we value mastery rather than success, effort rather than outcome, and the relationship rather than approval. Our journey to self mastery is ongoing on every level.
Your Health and Time to Reflect
It’s worth it. Look after yourself and make sure you take care of the whole person – exercise, diet, rest, get variety, take holidays, etc. Because if you don’t then you are no use to anyone especially yourself. Take at least 5 minutes each day to sit quietly and reflect.
The Principle of Exchange
We all exist because we are exchanging something of value. Knowing how to communicate that value so others may appreciate and understand what you bring is critical. Be clear about the value you bring to any relationship whether it is business or personal otherwise you may create confusion about its true value.
Worthiness
We are all worthy, whatever our station in life. Our worth is not measured by what we do. We are worthy just because we exist.
Creativity and Innovation
Create something new, think outside the box, challenge prevailing views and attitudes, and don’t let yourself be bullied. Read outside your area of expertise to see how others learn, lead, make decisions, function and work – look at how it may apply to you and your business. Learn to be flexible and open minded. Trial new initiatives and see if they fit your business.
Application Rather Than Theories
Don’t get hooked on only one way of doing things as most theories don’t hold true in real life. You need to be able to use a mixture of ideas, theories, processes and models. Always have a full ‘kit bag’ of ideas, processes, resources, etc. that you can draw upon, and learn how to use them when you need them in life; take bits and pieces and apply them; trust your common sense; be prepared to make mistakes and learn from them.
Get a Reputation
If you don’t have a reputation, align yourself with someone who does. Or put your business up for reputable awards i.e. Small Business Awards, etc. It’s worth it just for the audit process itself. And, who knows, you might even become a finalist and maybe even win. There’s nothing like an award to elevate your reputation.
Courage
Check ‘what am I here to do?’ and have courage in the face of adversity – stand up for what you believe in. Remember, courage doesn’t always roar sometimes it’s a little voice inside your head that says I’ll try again tomorrow.

To all our readers, supporters and business colleagues, thank you for your patronage. The team at Barrett wish you all the very best for 2011 and look forward to sharing many more insights, research, findings and tips on how to lead an honourable, healthy and prosperous career in sales.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au

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Why hiring or keeping the 600lb sales gorilla is a mistake

December 2, 2010 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Communication, Culture, Ethics & Values, Performance Management, Recruitment, Sales Leadership, Sales Management, Teamwork

For many years the legend of the 600lb sales gorilla or Alpha sales superstar has been strutting the hallways and boardrooms of businesses. Often revered for achieving top of the league ladder sales results, yet feared by many for their aggressive, manipulative, ego centric, demanding, intimidating antics, countless CEO’s and sales managers have allowed these sales prima donnas to remain in their sales teams but at what cost to their sales team and their business?

Too scared to confront them about their behaviours or sales tactics for fear of losing their sales contribution, many sales managers and their sales team have simply suffered in the presence of these sales bullies. In my many years of working with sales teams and sales managers I have met my fair share of sales gorillas and their distressed managers and sales teams. Here’s what I have observed:

They have the ear of the Managing Director/CEO who thinks they can do no wrong.
They won’t let the business anywhere near their customers.
They tell tall tales about their legendary sales conquests.
They refuse to be coached, counseled or trained.
They are very demanding, always complaining about the lack of resources and taking up the time of countless people to do their bidding, leaving the other sales people to fend for themselves.
They often exhibit bad behavior, and may be heard swearing or making inappropriate comments to their colleagues or other staff who are often too fearful to report them (see point 1).
They can engage in questionable sales tactics, yet claim that they are pristine and operate with the utmost of integrity.
They claim to know a lot of people and be very well connected.
They use actual or implied intimidation to get their way with internal team members.
They use charm and manipulation to get their way with key stakeholders.
They act with righteous indignation if you question anything about them.
They don’t think they need to comply with company policies so often refuse to complete paperwork or keep up to date CRM’s if they think it’s a ‘waste of time’.

You only have to watch the movie ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ to see your fair share of sales gorillas. This type of sales culture was revered by a number of industry sectors in the 70’s and 80’s, including real estate, car sales, stock broking, etc. Watching it makes me feel ill, but many sales teams got off on this and even use ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ as a model of how they should sell in some quarters today.

Yet most people watching ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ or meeting their very own sales gorilla feel repulsed by them. Often very wary of them, others wonder why they have to tolerate them and why management won’t act. Truth is these sales gorillas have never been pulled into line. Their outstanding sales results have somehow bought them immunity from behaving in a civil manner. The smell of money they can bring in has condoned behaviour that has often outweighed the need to act ethically and uphold team values and respectful behavior. Their bad behavior has been allowed to manifest without restrictions, ‘oh let him get away with it. Look at the results he pulls in’. These sales gorillas are the direct result of poor quality leadership, lack of clear standards and bad decision making.

What most businesses do not know is that these sales gorillas, for all their so called sales success, actually fall well behind the real sales superstars in terms of achieving high level and sustainable sales results who, by contrast, are open minded, curious, collaborative, team oriented, open to learning and aim for partnerships on every level. And these real sales superstars are humble too which is a direct contradiction to the behavior of the sales gorillas.

So are you currently letting fear hold you and your team hostage by allowing your sales gorilla to persist?
What would happen if you got rid of the sales gorilla?
How would the rest of your team respond when they left?
What would happen to sales and the clients?

In my experience when the sales gorilla finally departs, there is an initial sense of shock which quickly gives way to relief and the opportunity for the sales team to really pull together and prosper. The biggest fear of losing the sales gorilla’s sales power and their clients doesn’t eventuate in the vast majority of cases. In fact it is often revealed that the clients are happy the sales gorilla has left and look forward to a more open and prosperous relationship with the company concerned and sales grow even more.

I am not suggesting that most leaders intentionally hired these sales gorillas or intended for them to manifest however, without clear codes of conduct or values and a proper understanding of what you want by way of ‘good sales performance’ you cannot hire or develop the right sales people to do the right things in the right sales culture.

In his book ‘The No Asshole Rule’, Leigh Buchanan writes about bosses behaving badly. Its thesis – don’t hire jerks, has become public policy in many companies around the world. I would suggest we think clearly about what we want manifested in our sales teams and take a leaf out of Leigh’s book and make sure we employ ‘The No Asshole Rule’ and don’t hire sales jerks.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au

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How well are you Weathering the Storm?

September 22, 2010 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Emotional Intelligence

‘Weathering the Storm’ was voted by you as the number 9 Sales Trend for 2010. While there have been ups and downs in the business world, over the last 20+ years for the most part, many of us in the western world have been able to ride on the back of posterity and market growth. Up until the GFC, many fortunate sales people and business people found making sales straightforward and easy, however these tougher, contracting markets have left many wanting in the sales stakes. The current breed of 20-40 year old sales people and business people had never experienced business under these conditions before.

2009 put everyone’s emotional resilience to the test and in 2010 we are left with many lessons to be learned and emotional scars to be healed following the GFC storm. The focus of ‘Weathering the Storm’ is Emotional Resilience which is at a low point with evidence of a sharp increase in people not coping with increased pressure, the GFC fallout and the more complex business world we now inhabit.

Despite the obvious business failures and the associated consequences that test our ability to handle tough situations, the latest research into resilience is also pointing the finger at the Self Esteem Movement of the last 30+ years as a contributor to many people’s inability to bounce back quickly from setbacks.

Dr Penny Brabin, a prominent Melbourne Clinic Psychologist, has written extensively on emotional health and the effects of the self esteem movement only promoting and considering positive views of self ‘you’re special’ and avoiding negatives, put-downs and any comparisons considered to reflect on the “self”. Here she writes (excerpts from her paper “Promoting Emotional Health”…) about the negative consequences of this movement: “by not providing strategies to manage negatives it has also promoted the inability to manage criticism and difficulty with comparisons while inflating the drive for positives like approval, status and success with its flip-side the fear of failure or fear of having a go. Such consequences are associated with avoidant behaviours … and the significant increase in the incidence of depression in our society.”

I concur with the negative consequences of the self esteem movement. I have witnessed the effects first hand many times with one experience sticking very clearly in my mind. I had the opportunity to work with a group of professionals from one of the major professional services firms and was asked to introduce a proactive sales and prospecting culture. Having been brought up in the world of competitive sport, business and selling, I was very accustomed to having my ideas, capabilities and character challenged, assessing my strengths and weaknesses, and learning how to win and lose, hopefully graciously. However, in recent times I came across this group of 20-30 year old ‘professionals’ who were led to believe, by their firm (and possibly by ‘others’ earlier to this) that everything about them was without flaw. They were the ‘cream of the crop’, the elite, and the best of breed. Never a word was spoken about any personal gaps, weaknesses or failings, so it came as a rude shock to them the day when I turned up with their call reluctance profiles in my hand ready with the intention of helping them develop their selling and prospecting repertoire and beginning the journey to becoming an accomplished sales professional. Without saying it to their faces, in the world of sales they were novices not the elite, and they were about to begin a sales apprenticeship. Faced with this prospect, they did not respond favourably because it went against everything they have been told about themselves. And for all my optimism, love of learning, challenging yourself to be your best, and becoming more self aware approach, they didn’t like what they saw and after that day I was not invited back because I was seen as too ‘negative’.

As Dr Brabin goes on to say, “Simple observation suggests that many individuals who function wholly in this (self esteem) dynamic, living lives of competition, focused on obtaining status from material possessions or being liked or loved by others; their “feel-good” happiness (elation) are only an experience (pin prick) away from the misery (burst bubble) associated with rejection or failure – not a condition of general life contentment!”

Dr Brabin promotes the shift to Self–acceptance, “When our goal is to focus on living our lives rather than boosting our self-esteem we can enjoy ourselves by developing satisfying activities and promoting harmonious relationships with others. Whereas the self-esteeming demand for external validation from others leads to frequent interpersonal clashes from demand conflict, self-acceptance necessarily embodies other-acceptance promoting reduced interpersonal demands and less conflict. When we focus on enjoying rather than proving ourselves we value:

mastery rather than success
effort rather than outcome
the relationship rather than approval

Recognising self-acceptance…

true self-acceptance implies other acceptance and, thus, respectful treatment of others…
emotional management because life events, including others’ unkind actions towards us do not risk any fall from glory or threat to our worth
focus on effort towards achieving goals rather than the outcomes themselves (which are not under our control).”

Emotional resilience doesn’t come easily to everyone; however we can all learn to enhance it in healthy, harm-free ways by promoting self and other acceptance. Putting emotional resilience high on the agenda of sales in 2010 and beyond will not only benefit individuals, it will also mean they in turn can help the company achieve success by being able to put things into perspective and maintain a proactive, realistic and positive outlook in tougher markets and act accordingly rather than ride the emotional roller coaster of life despite the markets.

As stated over the decades by the grandfather of rational emotive therapy, Albert Ellis, accepting ourselves with our abilities and flaws is the only rational alternative to promote our emotional health through healthy living.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au

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