“Above all, management is responsible for producing results.” — Peter Drucker
In a difficult market, managers in financial services may feel as if there is nothing they can do about lackluster sales results. Fortunately, there is one action that can make a difference: Hire better quality salespeople.
The best commission salespeople are masters at consultative selling. In our research on the top producers in financial services, we found that the best in the business share core personality characteristics that are formed early in life. There are nine characteristics that are indicative of success in consultative selling: energetic, follows-through, optimistic, resilient, assertive, social, expressive, self-reliant and positive about people.
During the interview process, hiring managers should be looking for these characteristics in sales candidates to ensure that they are building a consultative sales staff.
Upcoming Event: On September 10, I will be moderating a panel at the MBA Reverse Mortgage Conference in San Diego that will focus on the best practices of the sales professionals in reverse mortgage lending. Find out what industry leaders have to say about this important growth market.