Sales Effectiveness Survey
Feedback Report for J. Doe Lore International Institute June 15, 2003
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Effect Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overall SES Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary by Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sales Effectiveness Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Key Strengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Key Developmental Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Category Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 15
690683256 Printed 3/10/2003
Copyright 2003 Lore International Institute® All Rights Reserved Lore International Institute 1130 Main Avenue (800) 265-4940 Durango, CO 81301
SES Report for J. Doe
Introduction to the SES
The Sales Effectiveness Survey (SES) is a comprehensive skills assessment for sales and business development professionals. This 360-degree survey enables you to compare your perceptions of your skills to the perceptions of your customers, managers, and others. This report presents the results of your self-assessment along with feedback and specific recommendations from those you asked to complete the survey. This feedback may be surprising, but it will help you develop a realistic picture of your strengths, weaknesses, and overall effectiveness. In addition, this report will show how your ratings compare with the ratings of others who have responded to this survey. This assessment is designed as a tool for personal and professional development. It should not be used for performance evaluation, recruitment, or selection. The report information is confidential and is intended for the recipient only. The recipient should use appropriate discretion in sharing the contents. By accepting the report, the recipient agrees to hold Lore International Institute and the report authors harmless in connection with any claims arising from the content of the report or the recipient’s disclosure of report results to others.
What the Survey Measures
The Sales Effectiveness Survey measures 71 traits and behaviors, or competencies, that are characteristics of effective salespeople. These competencies fall into five general areas: Personal Characteristics Basic Skills
Basic traits and tendencies that contribute to success Skills and behaviors not directly related to sales but nonetheless essential to your professional success Skills and behaviors directly related to selling Strategic skills for managing key customers to maximize your sales opportunities —i.e., positioning and relationship building Skills for identifying, pursuing, and winning specific sales opportunities
Selling Skills Account Management Skills
Opportunity Management Skills
Descriptions of the individual competencies appear alongside your results on pages 15-23. In addition, the survey provides a Comparative Effectiveness Rating in which the survey respondents provide a direct rating of your overall sales effectiveness compared to all other salespeople they have met. This rating appears on page 4. Another useful way to review this report is to compare your top and bottom rated items by respondent type. The SES competency model and survey are designed for people whose primary functional responsibility is selling. If your primary role is not selling but you have some responsibilities related to sales or business development, you may find that not all parts of this survey apply to you.
2
SES Report for J. Doe
Effect Sizes
The value of this report is largely in contrasting the ratings between yourself and your respondents and between your respondents and the norm. The simplest way to compare averages from two groups is to subtract one from the other to get the difference, but this result may not tell you if the difference is significant. This report uses a statistic called “effect size,” which is a measurement of the magnitude of the difference between the means of two groups. It is calculated by taking the difference of the means of two groups and dividing it by the average standard deviation. The result is a number that represents how many standard deviations the means differ by. An effect size of 0.00 means that the two scores are the same; a value of 1.00 or -1.00 indicates the scores differ by one standard deviation. For the SES report, effect sizes greater than 0.4 or less than -0.4 are considered meaningful. These thresholds approximately correspond to the 65th and 35th percentiles, and they may signify an area of strength or a need for improvement. Effect sizes greater than 1.0 or less than –1.0 reflect significant differences and clearly identify areas of significant strength or significant need for improvement.
3
SES Report for J. Doe
Overall SES Results
This report consists of data from: 1 Participant 4 assessments from others, including: 3 Customers 0 Managers 1 Other
Because of the differences in the way individuals rate one another, because they may interpret the survey questions differently, and because some people tend to be more favorable or critical than others, this report focuses on differences in perception rather than on absolute numeric results. The summary below shows your overall sales effectiveness rating for all sales competencies and your comparative effectiveness rating, which reflects how you and others rated your overall sales effectiveness compared to other salespeople. The SES uses a scale from 1—strongly disagree to 5—strongly agree.
Overall Summary
Overall Sales Effectiveness These values are the average of the scores you received from all survey respondents for all 71 sales competencies.
Customer Avg
Manager Other Avg Avg Self
Scores
0 1 2 3 4 5
3.77 -3.28 3.64
Comparative Effectiveness Rating These values are the averages for question 72: “... how would you rate this person's overall effectiveness as a salesperson?”
4.00 -2.50 --
4
SES Report for J. Doe
Summary by Category
This section shows your average ratings by category and respondent type. The increment on the bar graph is one standard deviation (sd), which is a measure of the variability of scores. The bar graph shows how much these averages differ from your Overall Sales Effectiveness averages shown on page 4.
Category
Personal Characteristics Basic traits and tendencies that contribute to success in sales
Customer Avg
Manager Avg
Other Avg
Overall Averag Self -2sd -1sd 1sd 2sd
3.88 -3.64 4.27
Basic Skills Skills and behaviors not directly related to sales but nonetheless essential to your success
3.63 -3.07 3.64
Selling Skills Skills and behaviors directly related to selling
3.70 -3.45 3.56
Account Management Skills Strategic skills for managing a customer base to maximize your sales opportunities
4.04 -3.18 3.56
Opportunity Management Skills Strategic skills for identifying, pursuing, and winning specific sales opportunities
3.00 -2.60 2.80
5
SES Report for J. Doe
Sales Effectiveness Recommendations
Each of your respondents were asked to provide up to three narrative recommendations on how you could improve your sales effectiveness. These recommendations appear below and are reported exactly as written. A respondent type of “Other” refers to someone who is not a customer or manager. The question was, “What, in your opinion, could this person do to improve his or her sales effectiveness?” Here is how they responded:
Customer
1. Quicker response to request for information. 2. More authority to make financial decisions.
Other
1) Increase awareness of personal hygiene and table manners 2) Let clients talk more than himself. Don't tell clients what they need - let them tell him first. 3) Focus on living up to commitments and deadlines.
6
SES Report for J. Doe
Key Strengths
This section shows your seven highest-rated sales competencies in descending order by the average of the scores you received from all other survey respondents. The Effect Size is calculated by taking the difference between All Others Average and All Others Norm and dividing that value by the average standard deviation. The result is a number that represents how many standard deviations the means differ by. For more information on effect sizes, see page 3. The All Others Norm values are averages from all from all respondents that have completed the SES Assessment.
All Others Norm
Rank
Category
Sales Competency
All Other Self Average
Effect Size
1
Personal Characteristics
Persistence Effective salespeople don't give up easily. They persist in the face of rejection and other barriers. Energy Effective salespeople work for long periods without losing momentum.
5.00
5.00
4.31
0.91
2
Personal Characteristics
5.00
4.75
4.37
0.65
3
Basic Skills
Developing expertise Effective salespeople develop sufficient expertise in their own fields to talk knowledgeably to customers. Customers consider them well informed. Understanding customers' industries Effective salespeople know how their customers' industries work and who the key players are. Understanding products and services Effective salespeople have a thorough understanding of the products and services they sell.
1.00
4.50
4.22
0.44
4
Account Management Skills
1.00
4.25
4.01
0.28
5
Selling Skills
2.00
4.25
4.22
0.05
6
Selling Skills
Addressing objections Effective salespeople anticipate and address customer objections.
4.00
4.25
4.00
0.41
7
Personal Characteristics
Self-confidence Effective salespeople are confident and selfassured.
5.00
4.00
4.32
-0.43
7
SES Report for J. Doe
Key Developmental Needs
This part of the report shows your seven lowest-rated sales competencies, in ascending order by the average of the scores you received from all other respondents with suggestions for developing those skills. The Effect Size is calculated by taking the difference between All Others Average and All Others Norm and dividing that value by the average standard deviation. The result is a number that represents how many standard deviations the means differ by. For more information on effect sizes, see page 3. The All Others Norm values are averages from all respondents that have completed the SES Assessment.
Category:
Rank Lowest
Account Management Skills
Sales Competency All Self Others All Others Effect Norm Size Suggestions
Coordinating project activities Effective salespeople coordinate project activities so their expectations are met.
4
2.00
4.02
-2.40
1. Take a course in project management. 2. Consider acquiring and learning a simple piece of project management software to assist you in coordinating activities for major projects or clients. 3. Review your current projects to determine where coordination can be improved. Seek feedback from others involved in the same projects. Develop a plan to address any issues that surface.
8
SES Report for J. Doe
Category:
Rank 2nd Lowest
Basic Skills
Sales Competency All Self Others All Others Effect Norm Size Suggestions
Reading and adapting styles Effective salespeople communicate well with all types of people.
4
2.00
3.93
-2.24
1. First, understand yourself. Take an operating style inventory and associated training course, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or Life Orientations (LIFO). 2. Reflect the attitude of the person you're communicating with; e.g., fast paced, relaxed, tough, businesslike, jovial, etc. 3. Speak the language of the person you are communicating with; use their terminology, allude to things they said earlier, etc. 4. Read a book on operating styles, such as “Type Talk at Work” by Kroeger and Thuesen or “The Name of the Game” by Stuart Atkins.
9
SES Report for J. Doe
Category:
Rank 3rd Lowest
Basic Skills
Sales Competency All Self Others All Others Effect Norm Size Suggestions
Reading nonverbals Effective salespeople read and interpret the nonverbal cues that others give.
2.00
4.04
-2.62
1. Read a book on body language or a general book on interpersonal communication that addresses nonverbal cues. 2. Be conscious of your own nonverbals and practice using them to enhance your sales efforts. 3. Practice reading nonverbal cues. For example, role play a salesperson giving a presentation to a client. Videotape this role play and review the tape for the nonverbal cues given by salesperson and client.
10
SES Report for J. Doe
Category:
Rank 4th Lowest
Account Management Skills
Sales Competency All Self Others All Others Effect Norm Size Suggestions
Developing account objectives Effective salespeople know what they want to achieve with their accounts and how they are going to achieve it.
4
2.00
3.37
-1.37
1. Take a strategic account management course. 2. Maintain a living account plan for each of your accounts. Include the following information on the customer: industry, market, key financials over time, issues, needs, key contacts, your opportunities, a record of your sales calls, and your objectives. 3. Assess your position in the account and then set ambitious but realistic and measurable objectives for the short and long term. 4. Create an action plan listing the actions required to achieve each account objective, including who's responsible and when the action is to be taken. 5. Keep your account objectives and action plans up to date. Review them prior to each sales call to ensure that you stay on track. 6. Use the action plan as the basis for any account briefing you provide to your sales management.
11
SES Report for J. Doe
Category:
Rank 5th Lowest
Opportunity Management Skills
Sales Competency All Self Others All Others Effect Norm Size Suggestions
Pursuing the best opportunities Effective salespeople spend most of their time pursuing the most profitable or otherwise attractive opportunities.
1
2.00
3.87
-2.34
1. Identify target accounts for the year based on ideal customer profiles. Focus on those target accounts. 2. Develop and implement a systematic method for making pursuit decisions based on criteria such as: Positioning as preferred provider, or better customer needs match your strengths Established relationships with decisionmaker and other buying influencers Knowledge of the customer's key issues Can comply or exceed requirements Can price competitively Acceptable risk with no fatal flaws 3. Include provisions for bidding for strategic reasons, such as long-term positioning. 4. Create a standing committee to review pursuit decisions.
12
SES Report for J. Doe
Category:
Rank 6th Lowest
Account Management Skills
Sales Competency All Self Others All Others Effect Norm Size Suggestions
Networking in customer organizations Effective salespeople build broad networks of contacts at all levels in customer organizations.
3
2.00
3.99
-2.31
1. Determine the specific contacts necessary within each customer organization that will provide critical information across the entire organization. 2. Take action to meet each contact you consider critical. 3. Communicate regularly with each contact. 4. Ask yourself whether you are ever surprised by specific customer actions. If you are, look around to see where you need to broaden your network; build new relationships, strengthen existing ones, or connect selected contacts with their counterparts in your organization.
13
SES Report for J. Doe
Category:
Rank 7th Lowest
Opportunity Management Skills
Sales Competency All Self Others All Others Effect Norm Size Suggestions
Setting opportunity objectives Effective salespeople set ambitious but achievable objectives for major sales opportunities.
3
2.00
3.97
-2.86
1. Make thoughtful pursuit decisions; know why you are going after a particular piece of business and specifically what you want out of it. 2. Ask yourself: What is the lowest acceptable payoff, in terms of either revenues or the relationship? What is the highest possible payoff? Then ask what is most realistic or likely, and set your objective somewhat higher than that. 3. Publicize your opportunity objectives so that others who may contact your customers on other opportunities or existing projects will be aware of your objectives and help you work toward them.
14
SES Report for J. Doe
Category Detail
This section shows your average rating by question and respondent type that fall within five competencies: Personal Characteristics, Basic Skills, Selling Skills, Account Management Skills, and Opportunity Management Skills. The increment on the bar graph is one standard deviation (sd), which is a measure of the variability of scores. The bar graph shows how much these averages differ from your Overall Sales Effectiveness averages shown on page 4.
Personal Characteristics
Sales Competency
Customer Avg
Manager Avg
Other Avg Self -2sd
Overall Average -1sd 1sd 2sd
Achievement orientation Effective salespeople are strongly driven to achieve.
--3.00 -4.00 -4.00 3.00 --4.00 1.00 3.67 -4.00 5.00 --4.00 4.00 3.33 -3.00 -4.67 -5.00 5.00 --3.00 --
Caring Effective salespeople genuinely care for their customers as people.
Competitiveness Effective salespeople are highly competitive; they want to win.
Creativity Effective salespeople generate unique and innovative solutions.
Decisiveness Effective salespeople make quick, sound decisions.
Dependability Effective salespeople keep their promises and commitments.
Energy Effective salespeople work for long periods without losing momentum.
Initiative Effective salespeople are self-starters.
15
SES Report for J. Doe Personal Characteristics
Sales Competency
Customer Avg
Manager Avg
Other Avg Self -2sd
Overall Average -1sd 1sd 2sd
Integrity Effective salespeople are ethical, honest, and fair in their dealings with people.
4.00 -3.00 5.00 --4.00 5.00 3.33 -3.00 4.00
Open-mindedness Effective salespeople are open-minded and adaptable.
Outlook Effective salespeople have a positive outlook.
Persistence Effective salespeople don't give up easily. They persist in the face of rejection and other barriers. Self-confidence Effective salespeople are confident and selfassured. Sociability Effective salespeople are outgoing and enjoy interacting with others.
--5.00 5.00 4.00 -4.00 5.00 4.00 -2.00 5.00
16
SES Report for J. Doe Basic Skills
Sales Competency
Customer Avg
Manager Avg
Other Avg Self -2sd
Overall Average -1sd 1sd 2sd
Asserting Effective salespeople listen well but don't hesitate to state their position or say what they want. Balancing communication Effective salespeople know when to talk and when to listen.
3.67 -4.00 4.00 3.33 -2.00 3.00 4.33 -5.00 1.00 3.67 -3.00 --
Developing expertise Effective salespeople develop sufficient expertise in their own fields to talk knowledgeably to customers. Customers consider them well informed. Giving effective presentations Effective salespeople are skilled presenters.
Handling conflict Effective salespeople are good at identifying and resolving conflict and disagreement. Listening Effective salespeople pay attention to what is being said and then test for mutual understanding.
3.33 -4.00 -3.00 -2.00 4.00
Managing time -Effective salespeople plan their daily activities based on urgency and impact.
-3.00 2.00
Negotiating Effective salespeople are skilled negotiators.
3.67 -4.00 5.00
Persuading Effective salespeople are persuasive.
4.00 -2.00 3.00
Planning and conducting meetings Effective salespeople conduct successful meetings.
--3.00 5.00
17
SES Report for J. Doe Basic Skills
Sales Competency
Customer Avg
Manager Avg
Other Avg Self -2sd
Overall Average -1sd 1sd 2sd
Reading and adapting styles Effective salespeople communicate well with all types of people.
--2.00 4.00 --2.00 -4.00 -3.00 ---4.00 4.00
Reading nonverbals Effective salespeople read and interpret the nonverbal cues that others give.
Soliciting and learning from feedback Effective salespeople seek and act upon feedback from others.
Working on a team Effective salespeople are exemplary team players.
Writing effectively 3.33 Effective salespeople communicate clearly and convincingly in writing.
-3.00 5.00
18
SES Report for J. Doe Selling Skills
Sales Competency
Customer Avg
Manager Avg
Other Avg Self -2sd
Overall Average -1sd 1sd 2sd
Addressing objections Effective salespeople anticipate and address customer objections.
4.00 -5.00 4.00
Building credibility 4.00 Effective salespeople have high credibility. Their customers value their ideas and opinions.
-2.00 4.00
Building trust Effective salespeople always act in their customers' best interests.
3.33 -3.00 4.00 --4.00 4.00 --3.00 1.00 4.00 -4.00 5.00
Closing Effective salespeople know how and when to ask for the sale.
Cold calling Effective salespeople excel at calling people they've never sold to and generating enough interest to continue the dialogue. Communicating features and benefits Effective salespeople always explain how their product will benefit the customer.
Cost-justifying solutions 3.00 Effective salespeople know how to apply financial principles to cost-justify solutions for their customers. Creating value-added solutions Effective salespeople are skilled at combining products and services in ways that are valuable to customers. Demonstrating products and services Effective salespeople give effective, hands-on product/service demonstrations to customers.
4.00
-5.00 5.00 -4.00 4.00
4.00 -2.00 -3.67 -3.00 5.00
Developing effective proposals Effective salespeople write clear, convincing proposals that address specific customer needs.
19
SES Report for J. Doe Selling Skills
Sales Competency
Customer Avg
Manager Avg
Other Avg Self -2sd
Overall Average -1sd 1sd 2sd
Differentiating products and services Effective salespeople demonstrate the competitive superiority of their products and services. Discovering issues and concerns Effective salespeople find out what really matters to the customer.
3.67 -5.00 1.00 3.33 -3.00 3.00 3.67 -2.00 4.00
Establishing rapport Effective salespeople quickly establish a mutual comfort level when meeting someone new.
Planning sales calls -Effective salespeople plan their sales calls and customer meetings.
-3.00 5.00
Probing to uncover needs Effective salespeople help customers discover and define their needs. Prospecting Effective salespeople generate a high number of good sales leads.
3.00 -5.00 3.00 --3.00 2.00 --3.00 4.00 4.00 -3.00 4.00 3.67 -3.00 -4.33 -4.00 2.00
Questioning Effective salespeople are adept at using questions to gather information and move the sale forward. Setting customer expectations Effective salespeople ensure that their customers have realistic expectations.
Understanding and addressing needs Effective salespeople thoroughly understand and always try to deliver what the customer needs. Understanding products and services Effective salespeople have a thorough understanding of the products and services they sell.
20
SES Report for J. Doe Account Management Skills
Sales Competency
Customer Avg
Manager Avg
Other Avg Self -2sd
Overall Average -1sd 1sd 2sd
Being a customer advocate Effective salespeople strongly advocate their customers' interests within their own organizations. Building customer relationships Effective salespeople build strong relationships with individual customer representatives. Building strategic alliances Effective salespeople establish partnerships with customers that help both organizations achieve their business goals. Coordinating project activities Effective salespeople coordinate project activities so their expectations are met.
3.67 -4.00 5.00 --3.00 4.00 4.33 -3.00 5.00 --2.00 4.00 --2.00 4.00 --3.00 4.00 --3.00 5.00 --3.00 1.00
Developing account objectives Effective salespeople know what they want to achieve with their accounts and how they are going to achieve it. Identifying decisionmakers Effective salespeople identify and work with the real buyers and key influencers in customer organizations. Leveraging existing business Effective salespeople excel at generating new business from existing accounts.
Managing accounts Effective salespeople spend the right amount of time on each account, based on its priority.
Networking in customer organizations -Effective salespeople build broad networks of contacts at all levels in customer organizations.
-2.00 3.00
Problem solving with customers Effective salespeople are considered trusted advisors and often operate as insiders in their customers' organizations.
3.67 -4.00 4.00
21
SES Report for J. Doe Account Management Skills
Sales Competency
Customer Avg
Manager Avg
Other Avg Self -2sd
Overall Average -1sd 1sd 2sd
Responding to customer needs Effective salespeople are very responsive to their customers' needs.
4.33 -3.00 -4.33 -3.00 1.00 --4.00 4.00 3.67 -4.00 4.00 3.67 -4.00 4.00 4.67 -3.00 1.00 --4.00 4.00
Spending time with customers Effective salespeople spend the right amount of time meeting face-to-face with their customers. Understanding competitors Effective salespeople know their competitors' products/services and position in the market place, as well as what their customers think of each competitor. Understanding customer business metrics Effective salespeople understand their customers' key business performance metrics.
Understanding customers' business Effective salespeople have a good understanding of how their customers do business. Understanding customers' industries Effective salespeople know how their customers' industries work and who the key players are. Working the customers' buying systems Effective salespeople operate successfully within the customers' buying systems and decision-making processes.
22
SES Report for J. Doe Opportunity Management Skills
Sales Competency
Customer Avg
Manager Avg
Other Avg Self -2sd
Overall Average -1sd 1sd 2sd
Developing effective pricing, etc. Effective salespeople develop pricing, billing, and contracting strategies that are acceptable to the buyer and profitable for the seller. Developing high-value opportunities Effective salespeople maintain a strong pipeline of new business opportunities.
3.00 -4.00 5.00 --3.00 1.00 --2.00 1.00 --2.00 4.00 --2.00 3.00
Pursuing the best opportunities Effective salespeople spend most of their time pursuing the most profitable or otherwise attractive opportunities. Qualifying opportunities Effective salespeople do not chase business that is not worth the effort.
Setting opportunity objectives Effective salespeople set ambitious but achievable objectives for major sales opportunities.
23