Sales Stardom Predictor

What would you say is the best predictor of sales stardom…

1. Drive
2. Confidence
3. Resilience
4. Empathy
5. Optimism

Research shows the answer is #5. Knowing there’s a lot of rejection in sales, it makes sense that having an optimistic outlook is crucial to sales success. An optimist doesn’t dwell on strikeouts—they consider them ‘part of the game’—a learning experience to be viewed as “what can I do better, so I hit a home run on my next at-bat.”

Optimists build up your team, sell more, and are 300% more likely to not quit the business. Identify and hire optimistic people, and foster that attitude by showing them you’re an optimist yourself.

How do you find out if an interviewee is an optimist?

• Incorporate questions around defeat and what they’ve done as a result. Ask them to identify a specific situation where they failed and what they did next. Look for answers that incorporate learning for the next time and ownership of the misstep.
• Have them recall an instance where they’ve helped a teammate turn around negative thinking. If they light up when relaying the specifics around helping a teammate or client, you know they’re wired for service. They get positive reinforcement from making positive changes, a great sign for lasting employment in the face of adversity.
• Ask, “Who was a supervisor who challenged you the most professionally? Optimists tell you about the positive impact any challenging supervisor had on them. Pessimists may focus on negative feelings or unfairness, possibly even citing that supervisor as a reason they left.
• Asking questions that get to processes they incorporate into their workday to achieve their goals will give great insight. Motivation can ebb; processes keep you going even when motivation is low. Those who prepare for success will employ strategic habits and processes even in the bad times, knowing they ultimately will pay off.

Once you have your optimist onboard, reinforce their positivity. Celebrate their wins, and when they do strike out, coach them through it. They won’t stay optimistic for long if management focuses on the whiffs.

One last note:

Optimists are also great for team morale, as I recently experienced while in a JDA partner market—the sales team and I were talking about prospecting, and one seller who’d had a bad run of “no’s” was feeling pretty low. He said he might just be “bad at this,” and maybe wasn’t good enough for the job.

The answer from his coworker made me stop in my tracks… “Do not talk about my teammate (yourself) that way,” she said. “My teammate is great at recommendations and selling solutions. The timing may be off, the client may have an internal issue, or whatever is going on delays things, but do not talk about my teammate as not good at this.”

WOW. Now that’s someone I want on my team.