In today’s market selling skills training does not equal product training or pressure tactics.  If product training or pressure selling (the hard sell) are on the top of your sales training agenda or the only training you offer your sales people then you may want to rethink your sales training strategy.

What is expected of sales people today by way of skillful thought and action goes way beyond the product or the hard sell.

Let’s first look at what clients want.  This will then help us determine what sales people need to be able to do.

Clients today have access to more information than ever before. Clients can make product versus product comparisons very easily.  And most clients know what they are after even if they don’t know how to articulate it. Clients don’t expect to be coerced, bullied, tricked or intimidated into buying either.  They don’t expect to be treated like an ‘idiot’ or a ‘sucker’ by sales people who just talk at them and flash brochures or product sheets, looking for someone to boost their commissions.  Nor on the other hand do they necessarily want to make ‘friends’ with sales people.
Clients expect to communicate and deal with a real professional who knows their own business and how they can best serve their clients’ needs with creative solutions and fresh ideas.

So, what do clients want from sales people?

• To deal with a real professional
• To be ‘helped’ and understood
• Business acumen and commercial awareness
• A definition of what ‘success’ will look like
• A planned approach for change
• Conceptual thinking and empathy

In effect, clients are now after ‘business people’ who can sell that think about possibility and take information to the imagination phase.  Clients tend to value subject matter and solution expertise which is not the same as product knowledge.  They are looking for partners to help them map a pathway forward into the future and integrate a myriad of components, one of which is product.

Skillful thought and action are among some of the most critical skills in selling; diagnosing and solving problems, opportunity questioning, active listening, paraphrasing and verifying; advising clients on the best use of a product or a solution in relation to their priorities; linking the ‘big picture’ to details and strategy; thinking about possibilities; effective alignment of client and company objectives; listening closely to the needs of clients and being able to feed them back to marketing and technical people for product improvement and market relevance; and understanding the financial importance of client retention.

Effective sales professionals truly add value to client relationships well beyond the product.  The product is now only part of the sale, not the sale itself.

This approach to selling is seen as a distinct competitive advantage to businesses and any sales person or sales team not putting these skills into practice is at risk of losing sales and clients.   Training sales people in these skills has a significant effect on the profitability of a business.

The stereotype of the ‘smooth talking’ sales person whose job is to convince and persuade people to buy a product is outdated and, most of all, ineffective.

The skills we highlighted above are often described by those less enlightened sales individuals as ‘fluffy’ or ‘niceties’ and seen as irrelevant.  These people were either unable to extract themselves from the product  or at worst only saw their clients as a means to an end, i.e. it was only about extracting as much commission out of the client to serve their own needs – not a real partnership for a mutually beneficial relationship.

It may be worth noting that, both locally and overseas, there is an emergence of a critical skill which is ethical decision making in sales.  While not included in most selling skills programs, we are seeing a growing interest in this aspect of selling being included in training.  You have probably gathered that this always been a common thread through my writing and our work at Barrett – now it seems for obvious reasons.

Ethical training for all employees is coming through loud and clear.  This is also closely linked to ethical corporate culture, code of conduct, brand, reputation, and customer loyalty. As sales people have direct contact with prospects and customers, it would be advisable to have ethical decision making on the selling skills agenda as well.  I will discuss this specific topic in more depth in the coming weeks.

It is worth making sure your sales people conduct themselves with skillful thought and action as it may well deliver handsome payoffs.

Author: Sue Barrett is Founder and Managing Director of BARRETT.

You cannot fake real sales experience and sales wisdom.  It is one of the professions that is the hardest to teach and train because without real life sales experience you are at risk of being seen as inauthentic.

To help you make the best choice when it comes to selecting the right sales trainer let’s consider the following:

• What capabilities do you need to be a good sales trainer?
• What attitudes and mindsets can makes sales people and sales results worse?

To sell or not to sell

Without real life sales experience, you will are likely to lack empathy and real insight for the daily challenges of the intricate world of sales.  Those who talk about selling but have never had a sales budget to achieve, prospecting calls to make on a daily basis, or need to meet new people and quickly adapt to their styles while trying to understand their needs, will not be as authentic as someone who has been out there and experienced selling for real.

You can have certain knowledge about selling processes, sales figures, or selling strategy but talking about selling and actually living and experiencing a long-term sales career are two very different things.

Over the years of building my own business I have seen my fair share of good facilitators and trainers, but when it comes to training in sales those trainers who lack genuine sales experience find it hard to tackle sales training. They often don’t stack up when it comes to feedback from participants.

The overwhelming feedback from participants on sales training programs, based on research both locally and internationally, shows they want to be trained by a real sales person who understands them on all levels: the thinking and skills required to sell, the resilience needed to keep going, empathising with the challenges and setbacks and how to overcome them, the ability to deal with different people who are not always welcoming, and the business knowledge and street smarts that come from being in the field earning your way as a sales professional.

Based on this information you may well think that all you need to do is put a great sales performer up the front of the classroom and press play.

Wrong!

Many companies do follow this line of thought without the proper consideration for the other skills involved in being a competent sales trainer.  Here are some of the common traps companies often fall into when trying to deliver sales training:

Trap 1: Motivational speeches

Many companies think that all sales people need is a bit of motivation to make them sell more so they get in a pumped up motivational speaker with a bit of sales experience to tell war stories and how you can be like them if you only do this or that.  The effects of this approach are short lived. It soon wears off.  This type of approach is like a hot bath that soon gets cold.

We get a lot of salespeople saying they are sick of these types of approaches to sales training because they are left with little to show for it – they are given no real skills or tools they can use in the field.  Here is some feedback from one of our training participants, “Your program was very down to earth and engaging.  A wonderful contrast from the loud music, gimmicky motivational speakers we often get.  A very effective style, we learnt real skills and took away real tools we can use.”

Trap 2: Promoting your sales person to sales trainer

Another trap can be promoting your sales people to sales trainer with very little support to become a good sales trainer and program designer.  As a result we have seen plenty of disasters when you let good sales performers loose on sales training.

If your sale trainer has not been properly trained in adult learning principles, classroom facilitation techniques and strategies, and is unaware about how to create practical learning content that works based on good instructional design, then you are likely to get a good sales performer up in front of the participants telling war stories about their experiences and telling everyone to be like them.   That is not training or educating people – at best it may be entertaining but that is about all you can hope for.

This is a recipe for disaster.

Just because you are a great sales person or great motivational speaker does not make you a great sales trainer.

Being a Competent Sales Trainer

The latest research shows that there are 5 competencies encompassing 18 separate skills, associated with being an effective sales trainer.  These include business acumen and communication, instructional planning, effective selling skills and experience, talent management, and teaching capability.

The sales trainer is one of the key factors that can influence the effectiveness of the sales training program.   Sales trainers perform many different roles including talent developer, coach, mentor, sales talent evaluator, sales skills evaluator, and training program design and implementer.

As facilitator lead classroom training is still a key component of sales training we would do well to examine the competencies and skills required to effectively run these sessions.  Barrett have developed a sales facilitator/ trainer competency model that helps us determine and identify skills and performance expectations for new, as well as experienced sales trainers.

Some of the main categories of competencies we look for in a competent sales trainer are:

Sales

• Planning and Organising
• Prospecting
• Building Relationships and Networks
• Consultative Problem Solving
• Results Focus
• Self-Management
• Quality Orientation
• Comprehensive communication skills
• Business acumen and Common Sense

Facilitation

• Create Collaborative Client Relationships
• Design and adapt course content for an effective learning outcome
• Plan Appropriate Group Processes
• Create and Sustain a Participatory Environment
• Guide Group to Appropriate and Useful Outcomes
• Build and Maintain Professional Knowledge
• Model Positive Professional Attitude

Within these main categories of competencies there are also several subsets of behaviours and capabilities.  Being an effective sales trainer takes more than you would expect.

Trap 3: Not passing on the right attitudes and beliefs

Besides skill, experience, and capability, you should also assess for the right beliefs, attitude and values needed for being an effective sales trainer.  Poor or inaccurate perceptions about selling passed on by the sales trainer can damage your sales training efforts on a grand scale.

If you hear a sales trainer say the following:

• “Oh we don’t call ourselves sales people here”
• “We don’t have to sell – we consult”
• “The product sells itself”
• “All sales people are pushy and rude and we aren’t like that here, are we?”

Stop the sales training and find yourself a new sales trainer.

Do your internal and external audits:

1. Be wary of sales people coming to you offering to be your sales trainer.  Check their motives.  Are they struggling with sales or ashamed of being called a salesperson and looking for an excuse to get out and find another role? Are they overly addicted to self help books and motivational pep talks which pump them up to feel positive, only to be in need of more when the effect wears off?  Do they look for or talk about getting ‘quick fix’ answers to theirs or other sales people’s emotional issues about selling?
2. Be wary of external consultants or sales trainers who are unable to accept that they, too, are sales people.  Ask you prospective sales trainer or consultant:  “Are you a good sales person?”  If they say anything that indicates an emotional denial of their sales role like “I’m a consultant not a sales person’ then that say goodbye fast.

You do not want people like this near your sales teams as they often unwittingly pass their negative, jaundiced views about selling on to their unsuspecting peers and course participants.

Think of the saying ‘watch who you let near your mind’ and remember that includes your sales trainers.

So, who’s delivering your sales training?

Author: Sue Barrett is Founder & Managing Director of BARRETT Pty Ltd

It may surprise you to discover that many Sales Managers learn how to be a Manager on their own.

According to the latest international study on Sales Training and Sales Force Effectiveness,  many Sales Managers are given very little or no support when it comes to being a competent, effective Sales Manager.  In fact, many Sales Managers reported that they were given no formal training in Sales Management practices, either before or during their tenure as a Sales Manager.

The study reported that Sales Management training is the category of sales training that is addressed with the least frequency, in fact it is less than annually or not at all.

The study also reported that if Sales Managers were more frequently and better trained and coached then their sales teams achieved higher performance and results.  In no other type of sales training was a more positive correlation found between frequency of training and sales performance.  Interestingly, it also revealed that sales training doesn’t need to be delivered in formal classroom settings.

As with many sales people who follow no logical process when selling, so it is true for many Sales Managers who fly by the seat of their pants.  When it comes to Sales Managers many are left to their own devices.  These international findings further support our 15 years of observations in the Australian market place that Sales Management development and performance is not taken as seriously as it should be.

Would we let a football coach without any experience or formal training in coaching become the head coach an elite football team?  Not likely!  At the very least, we would expect them to do a coaching apprenticeship.  In addition, many of the current crop of elite sporting coaches have also undertaken formal education and training to earn the right to apply for senior coaching roles.

Sales Managers need support if they are to be of best value to your business, your team, and to themselves.

Where do we start?  Let’s look at some of the broad core capabilities they need to be competent Sales Managers in the 21st century sales environment:

• Strategic Action – Understanding industry and organisation; taking strategic actions
• Coaching – role modeling, feedback, trust building
• Team Building – designing and managing teams, creating a supportive environment
• Self-management – fostering integrity and ethical conduct, managing personal drive, developing self-awareness, decision making and management skills
• Global perspective – cultural knowledge and sensitivity, global selling program
• Technology – understanding new technology, sales force automation, customer relationship management

As you can see there is a lot to know and apply in the role of Sales Manager. So, how do we support Sales Managers in their development?  Formal classroom training on key topics is a great start, however it is important that these are spaced at regular intervals – for example, run over a few months with 1 or 2 sessions and follow-ups rather than squashed into a week with no follow-ups.  The formal classroom sessions should also be supported by much more frequent activities which can include local or distance coaching (group and one-on-one), combined with regular access to advice and topics of interest such as talent management, time management, and business trends. This type of support needs to become part of a development regimen for those who are in Sales Management or those that aspire to be Sales Managers.

When formal and informal development is consciously applied and supported in the workplace it can have amazing effects for the Sales Managers themselves and their teams.

For instance, as part of our development work at BARRETT, in addition to classroom sessions, we run regular tele-coaching sessions (monthly 1-hour group sessions with up to 4 Sales Managers) for several companies. In these sessions Sales Managers share and discuss their needs, challenges, ideas, and strategies for effective sales performance in their teams, as well as their own needs and development as leaders. The feedback has been very encouraging.  Some feedback we have received from Sales Managers so far includes:

• it is a collaborative learning environment
• great ideas exchange, learn a lot from each other
• peer support – only time we get to really work with each other and share ideas without another agenda crowding the discussions
• no hidden agenda – feels safe, supportive, useful
• independent view from BARRETT coach keeps ideas fresh and focused on the sales agenda piece while finding ways to integrate with ‘well managed’ piece and other priorities
• keeps the concepts and program we are running top of mind and makes sure we do it and don’t lose it
• makes sure we are really implementing the tools and content properly

One Sales Manager stated: “BARRETT has supported me by providing a consistent frame of reference for all of us to work around. This has been a program that all the staff has been involved with rather than ‘another message from above’…  ‘The best part has been the follow-ups on the phone with the other Sales Managers.  Hearing their experiences and applying some of their takes on the principles has been very beneficial, and the re-enforcing of the principles and the increased familiarity and use of them has added measurably to it being embedded in my dialogue with my team.”

These conversations are not just ‘chats’ they are based on substance and the critical things that Sales Managers need to know and apply.  So, if you think you can solve the problem with a simple, unstructured monthly ‘chat’ think again.

Now that we have discussed the importance of developing Sales Managers, let’s also remember to consider the Sales and Sales Management experience and expertise of the people you choose to support your Sales Managers through training, coaching, and mentoring. A deep subject matter expert will be able to provide both the practical and theoretical support Sales Managers need for them and their teams to succeed.

While a monthly coaching or training session may not seem like much, many Sales Managers are in need of support and help, especially now in these tough markets.  You can make a big difference to your sales results if you take a little time out to develop your Sales Managers.

Happy selling.

Author: Sue Barrett is Managing Director of BARRETT.

Many sales people, for the first time, are experiencing tough times when it comes to selling and many are not sure how to handle themselves in these difficult situations.

The current climate is, indeed, a test of character.

Many sales people, especially those in their 20’s and 30’s have not likely experienced selling in tough markets before.  For the past 12 years prior to 2008, at least, the business climate in our market place has been, for the most part, buoyant.  As we all know it’s very easy to sell when times are good.

It now begs the question: How well have we prepared ourselves practically, emotionally, and physically to manage our way through these tough times?

In recent weeks and months at Barrett, we have seen an increase in the number of conversations we are having with clients about how to help their salespeople to deal with distressful situations. They are seeking support, coaching and training in how to help sales people and sales managers handle the emotional fallout from the GFC.  The requests for  support and training range from wellbeing, emotional resilience, optimism, stress management, how to re-engage with the team or clients, and how to lead a healthy life.

Not surprisingly, many of these requests have come from the finance and advertising sectors reporting that the current landscape has been one of turmoil and distress. While other sectors have also sort support it is not at the level suggested above.  These business leaders have indicated that many of their clients have been severely affected by the GFC and this has created a significant amount of depression in the market place, also affecting their sales teams.

For instance at a recent management meeting, the sales leaders raised their concerns about how the sales team was handling the distress arising from severely reduced incomes for themselves and their clients and loss of a number of clients from their industry.  They wanted to know what they could do about it because what they were doing by way of standard management practice wasn’t working.  For the first time they are seeking help around emotional resilience, and optimism.

Another business, in the advertising space, reported that their sales team had been hit hard too with lower than expected advertising spend. Management was observing very low motivation levels and rising levels of distress in the team.  They realised that their people didn’t have strategies to cope with this crisis.  They were worried their people were feeling useless and dejected.

The one thing these two sales teams have in common is that their sales people earn significant commission from their sales results.  With their clients in freefall and sales down, these sales people’s earnings were being affected which meant that some are having trouble paying their mortgages, maintaining their life styles, etc.  Certainly reasons for concern, however doing nothing and getting ‘depressed’ isn’t going to help solve their problems.

But it isn’t just the income drop that’s causing concern, another sales team whose incomes are not linked to commissions, also found it hard to remain positive and keep going in the face of adversity.  With clients feeling the pain, these sales people didn’t want to be around the negativity or distress.  It’s almost as if they have chosen to put their fingers in their ears and saying ‘la la la la la’ to block out the stress hoping it all goes away.  Not very useful either.

The sales teams mentioned above are all highly trained and skillful sales people.  They have been trained in appropriate sales skills and processes but many do not have the tools or know-how when it comes to managing their own wellbeing, stress, emotions, and the emotions of others.

If, as is being highlighted, these and other sales people like them are not used to dealing with sets backs, overcoming obstacles or they let the negative sentiments of  others overtake them then their work will suffer.  It will be much harder to achieve results.  This negativity can cloud their thinking and potentially keep them from seeing and realising those ideas and strategies that will get them back on track and producing again.

So what do you rely upon to get you through the tough times?

Besides the obvious sales skills, processes and tools, we need to learn (if we haven’t already) and apply the skills that go to developing strategies for healthy thinking, emotional resilience, optimism, healthy lifestyle practices, etc.

My concern is that many people, especially younger people may not have been in a position to really build up their resilience and toughen up, especially in sales and tough markets like this.  It appears that many don’t seem know how to navigate and manage their thinking and emotions through these times.

Developing emotional resilience and awareness in a variety of situations is vital for your ongoing survival and ability to thrive despite the markets or life’s other circumstance.  Developing emotional resilience supports individuals to better achieve their goals, communicate with and manage other people, and spring back emotionally after suffering through a difficult and stressful time in one’s life.

Some of us might be born with the potential to be more resilient than others but you do not know how resilient you are until you put yourself to the test or life does it for you.  The saying ‘if it doesn’t kill it will make you grow stronger’ is quite apt here.

We can all learn how to be resilient and we can learn from a very early age.

Whether we learn to develop and cultivate our resilience in relatively safe environments like playing both team and individual sports, or learning music and performing at recitals, or we develop resilience via our personal experiences such as developing and losing friendships, or other trials of childhood like playing favourites, not fitting in, learning difficulties, etc., or more extreme difficulties such as  losing a parent to cancer, chronic illness, and other life changing events, all these have an effect on each of us.  How we are taught to deal with and overcome these challenges and learn from them the best way we can is what helps us develop resilience.  If someone else tries to assume responsibility for your journey, even if it is with the best intentions, they are really taking away your ability to learn and grow.

As a parent I know I want my children to be safe and free from harm, however if I cotton wool them from life’s tough experiences then they will not develop their resilience and learn the lessons of life. None of us need ever be a victim when we know we have choices in every moment and we take responsibility for them.

No one can ever be guaranteed of winning. We know we have to work for our successes. We usually  fail more than we succeed but that is par for the course in life.  We need to encourage each other  to pick ourselves up and keep going, learning from our mistakes, stretching ourselves to do better.  It’s about doing our best at whatever we do.  Winning isn’t everything, but doing our best, developing self mastery, taking calculated risks and learning from everything we do is what life was all about.

It is possible to teach people how to develop the skills to enhance their emotional resilience, optimism and ways of thinking and dealing with the world. This information is not new either, it has been around for thousands of years.   We can all encourage a resilient attitude at work and at home.

Here are some tips.

Developing a Resilient Attitude
The first step to becoming more emotionally resilient is the acknowledgment that there is room for improvement and taking the time to learn more about yourself.  The following behaviours and attitudes are some ways in which emotional resilience can be demonstrated and measured:

•    Have realistic and attainable expectations and goals.
•    Show good judgment and problem solving skills.
•    Be persistent and determined.
•    Be responsible and thoughtful rather than impulsive.
•    Be effective communicators with good people skills.
•    Learn from past experience so as to not repeat mistakes.
•    Be empathetic toward other people (caring how others around them are feeling).
•    Have a social conscience, (caring about the welfare of others).
•    Feel good about themselves as a person.
•    Feel like they are in control of their lives.
•    Be optimistic rather than pessimistic.

Selling, as a career, is not for the faint hearted as I have often stated.  Besides good selling skills, quality thinking and solid process it takes courage, self discipline, determination, persistence, the ability to learn from your mistakes, a sense of humour, and a healthy approach to life to lead a healthy sales career.

How do we do this?  Among other things this requires people to have access to insight and self awareness.

In my opinion, we need to help people become more emotionally aware, and resilient in a number of ways.  We need to give people access to tools, processes and assessments that can help them develop insight and strategies to enhance their emotional resilience and allow people to make the most of their capabilities and the situations they find themselves in on a daily basis. Particularly if they have not had the chances to really test themselves in previous roles or earlier in their lives.

Not only do we need to be skilful in selling we need to be skilful in how we manage our wellbeing, our emotions and the emotions of others.

So as I reflect on my life so far and all the challenges and joys that come with it, I am indeed grateful for the gift of resilience, it keeps me growing.

Author: Sue Barrett is Founder & Managing Director of BARRETT

For further information on emotional resilience and other strategies please contact us on (+61) 03 9532 7677 or use this form.

To ensure our strategy is right for you, Barrett can incorporate a range of methods into our work including Emotional Intelligence (EI) theory, Positive Psychology, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness and Meditation.   Mind Your Emotions® encompasses a series of programs and facilities Barrett has developed to give people access to tools, processes and assessments that can help them develop strategies to enhance their emotional resilience and allow people to make the most of their capabilities and the situations they find themselves in on a daily basis.

Talk to us about how you can Mind Your Emotions® and develop and enhance emotional resilience.

Sound familiar? A ‘good’, maybe even ‘great’, salesperson is recruited and hits the ground running, kicking sales goals in the new role, however within a short space of time they have alienated their team, decided that the role is not for them, and left the organisation. As we know the cost of this selection is huge and begs the question, why did this ‘great’ salesperson not work out?
While there are many possible scenarios and reasons, we often find that a major contributor is the cultural ‘fit’ between the individual and the organisation. In recent times there has been a great deal written about organisational culture and while there is no one definition, many share in common themes such as collective experience, beliefs, goals, norms, values, traditions, systems and routines. It is commonly agreed that organisational culture is deeply rooted and often difficult for those inside to articulate and see with clarity. Cultural ‘fit’ is the compatibility between an individuals and organisations values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. It is often over looked when making recruitment decisions because organisations either do not know how to include it or do not see the importance of it.

Why cultural ‘fit’ is important?

Culture is everywhere in an organisation and is behind what happens… and what doesn’t happen in your organisation. Culture is strongly related to group values, and in turn group values are heavily influenced by what organisations and leaders prefer and encourage. As such, cultures have the power to attract people or expel them, and assessing values affords powerful insights.
Values are beliefs about what is important or desirable. Extensive research has shown compelling reasons for matching people with organisational culture and how it adds bottom-line value:

• Firstly, it is important that employees’ values match those of the organisation in order to create a cohesive and supportive environment.
• Secondly, a close value match between individuals and the organisation means the individual experiences significantly greater job satisfaction.
• Thirdly, where the organisation’s values and those of the individual align, employees stay longer and are more likely to adjust to the environment.
• Finally, the most productive organisations are those where employees stay and enjoy the job.

So, how do you measure cultural ‘fit’?

While there many methods to gain insight into cultural ‘fit’, an effective way is through Psychometric Assessments and consulting. There are Psychometric Assessments that specifically provide insight into motives and values and identify the following key areas:

• Determine the existing culture and values system
• Strengths and weaknesses within the organisation, including areas to leverage and ‘gaps’ the may hinder future success
• Information about specific areas such as current potential for innovation and creativity- identifying individuals who naturally ‘have it’ and how to leverage this, as well as how to encourage those who do not
• Information about the existing team to assist in recruiting new people into the business to ensure they ‘fit’

Think about your organisational culture and what is promoted, encouraged and rewarded out of the following areas:

• Aesthetics – attention to style, appearance, quality, work surroundings, and ‘good taste’.
• Affiliation – collaboration and social interaction.
• Altruistic – concern for the welfare and well-being of others and their environment.
• Commerce - business, money, and bottom-line focus.
• Hedonism – fun, entertaining, and enjoyable workplace.
• Power – success, accomplishment, status, competition, and control.
• Recognition – public recognition, approval, and praise.
• Scientific – data, knowledge, new and advanced technologies, and curiosity about how things work.
• Security – certainty, predictability, order, and stability.
• Tradition- dedication to the status quo and old-fashioned virtues.

Now let’s use these frameworks to reconsider the ‘great’ salesperson and imagine that we had Psychometrically Assessed the salesperson and the organisational culture prior to them starting. The Assessment revealed that the organisational culture promotes high levels of interaction and working closely with team members (affiliation), encourages concern for well-being (altruism) and rewards appearance and quality rather than substance (aesthetics).
The Assessment also revealed that our ‘great’ salesperson prefers a workplace that promotes a money driven, bottom-line approach (commerce), encourages competition between team members and status (power) and rewards factual, data driven performance (science).

Can you see any potential areas of conflict or mis-’fit’ between the individual and the organisation?

We hope that has given you a new way to articulate what it is promoted, encouraged and rewarded in your organisation, remembering that it will sometimes be intentional and other times intrinsically. While there are numerous methods, from our experience these Psychometric Assessments are the most efficient, effective and accurate method to gain a true understanding of the motives and values of the individual and the organisation. However, it is also important to remember that Psychometric Assessments are only one piece of the recruitment process and best results are achieved from a multi-pronged approach.
We hope that this will help avoid the common mistake many of us have made of hiring sales people on ’skill’ and then firing them on ‘fit’.

Sue Barrett is Managing Director of BARRETT Pty Ltd. For more information please go to www.barrett.com.au.