Attitude, “Positive” Sales Attitude
is one of the five “leading indicators”
of a Sales person’s likely Sales successes.
We know this from repeated research.
Attitude is linked to motivation and if all other things are equal,
the more motivated Salesperson sells more than the less motivated Salesperson.
Adverts for Sales jobs frequently ask for “positive” Attitude,
every job Candidate claims to have it, but how do you measure it?
There are several Validated, and Reliable (in expert hands) Psychometrics,
which give insights into a Sales person’s likely attitude
to their Product, Company, Manager, Customers and to themselves.
Here is a simple exercise, which is a good indicator of a Salesperson’s Sales Attitude.
1. List the five most important tasks you completed last year.
2. Now, put them into two groups:
· Group 1 Tasks you did to avoid negative consequences or to receive promised reward.
· Group 2 Tasks you did because they had meaning for you or your company in the longer term.
You can now “measure” their engagement, the number of Tasks in Group 2;
which will give a percentage of their optimal Motivation, intrinsic motivation.
Sometimes this is called “Self-motivated”.
The number of Tasks in Group 1 which,
were sub-optimal motivated by external events of Punishment or Reward
show their Ratio to External or Manager-based Motivation.
During interview this exercise,
and YOUR subsequent inquiry,
will give insight into how the Salesperson works.
It applies equally to your current Sales team!
Repeat the exercise with every individual.
Diagnose their level of Engagement, by using the two lists.
The more Group 2 items the Higher their engagement,
they have the Positive Attitude to do the Task.
The more tasks they have in Group 1 the less engagement they have,
the more variable their Commitment and their Attitude.
Then, the more work YOU will have i.e. to manage them by punishment and reward!
As a Sales Leader, the Sales Manager’s role
is to connect the Salesperson’s work to meaningful outcomes.
The lowest form of motivation [the least effective] is Carrot and Stick; people are not Donkeys.
Understand and share the meaning of work, FOR yourself,
WITH your Salespeople and FROM your boss.
“Cutting stone is just poorly paid, hard, exhausting work,
but, being part of building a great building that then brings meaning!”
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