The critical (and often overlooked) traits that determine if your sales staff can sell.
Not everyone can sell. Sure, some skills and techniques can be developed and practiced, but when it comes down to separating the sales superstars from the rest, there’s a certain drive that top-performing sales representatives seem to have…
You can give your sales team all the necessary tools to succeed, but Sales DNA is something they have to bring to the table themselves.
The challenge is, most companies don’t know how to look for this (or that it even exists!).
Sales is the most critical component of any business. As businesses grow, they need a strong sales department to compete effectively. Having a sales team with the right Sales DNA is the key to unlocking the type of sales success most companies can only imagine.
Today, we’re going to explore what exactly sales DNA is, why it’s so important to look for, and share some ways we seek it out.
What is Sales DNA?
Sales DNA is the internal foundation of the salesperson. It’s composed of their strengths and weaknesses, and will support or sabotage their success.
In other words, Sales DNA is what stops or drives someone to (effectively) execute on the sales skills that they’ve been taught.
Sales is a numbers game, and even the best sales reps have to deal with a lot of rejection. Part of what sets sales superstars apart is their ability to quickly and easily move past rejection and get back to work.
Salespeople with the right DNA are good at communicating in the medium in which you need them to sell. For example, many salespeople have excellent verbal communication skills, but struggle with written communication…that’s ok (if writing isn’t a significant part of your sales process)!
They need to be adept at getting along with others, but not have a high need for likability which can impede their ability to get the job done. If they have the right Sales DNA, they’ll understand they’re working to close deals, not make friends.
Additionally, they need to be in control of their emotions around the sales process, have a high emotional intelligence quotient, and be willing to work on themselves to improve and further develop these skills.
They’re able to stay in the moment and not let their mind constantly wander. They can focus intently on the prospect and the sales process and don’t let deals fall through because they get distracted or forget their process.
Strong salespeople are also coachable! While they come “pre-wired” with the right foundation to sell, they’re also willing to learn, get better, and be coached towards becoming even more impactful. Despite their sales prowess, they realize they aren’t above needing to learn more and develop even better skills.
But, the biggest thing of all: they are comfortable talking about money!
Money is a huge mental block and limiting belief for many people. A salesperson who is uncomfortable – consciously or unconsciously – talking about money will never be able to successfully close deals and stay in control of the sales process when it comes time to close the deal.
Why does it matter?
Sales DNA determines who has the best chance of successfully executing your processes and selling for any company. It’s measured in quantifiable data and isn’t dependent on the whims of your prospect.
It’s a variable you can control for in the hiring process.
When you start out hiring salespeople with strong Sales DNA, it makes the entire onboarding process easier. Since it isn’t something you can teach, there is minimal “wasted” time as they get up to speed within your organization.
The right candidate will integrate into your team with ease, hit the ground running, and be ready to connect with your prospects, properly engage them, and start closing deals.
You’ll still need to train them about your specific products, industry, and processes but you’d be amazed how much traction you’ll make in a short amount of time with the right salesperson.
If you start with someone who has the right foundation to execute what you want them to do, they can start doing it (i.e. closing deals and making you money), a heck of a lot quicker.
How can you figure out who has Sales DNA?
When you know what to look for, it’s easy to spot.
The first step is using a sales-specific assessment tool. It’s the #1 way to determine who has the Sales DNA to succeed.
From there, you need to trust the results.
The ideal candidate may not be the one with the best personality. In our experience, they usually aren’t.
This is why it’s so easy for businesses to make hiring mistakes when it comes to their sales team. But now that you know better, you can do better!
Conclusion
To succeed in sales, you need to have the skillset to build rapport, set the right expectations, ask great questions, understand objections, and close deals.
To truly master the art of closing deals, the best salespeople need to have a specific mindset and attitude. They must take a different approach from the traditional salesperson.
To become a sales superstar, they must possess strong Sales DNA!
Now that you know what to look for, hiring these game-changing, revenue revving salespeople will be easy…
But if you need support establishing your business’ sales assessment tool process, or you’re ready to outsource the recruitment process entirely, contact us for your free sales hiring consultation.
In just 45 minutes, we’ll show you the path from where you are, to where you want to be (and how easy it is to get there).