When recruiting “hunter” salespeople, hiring managers occasionally “fall in love” with a candidate with a great resume, who subsequently scores lower than expected on Drive.  It can be tempting to ignore the test results, and move forward anyway, trusting gut instincts over the diagnostics.  However, we ignore the warning of the test at our own risk. Here are three common reasons this situation occurs, and the key to avoiding it: The candidate has built up a great book of business over the years, but is more interested now in dialing back his/her work commitments.  The candidate may talk a good

The most important sales skill, which can be developed through sensitivity and training, is the ability to listen. Sounds easy, but a study conducted in the financial services industry found that in a typical sales call, the salesperson spoke a whopping 80% of the time. Why?  Salespeople get pumped up, nervous and they want to make sure to get all the material covered. Trouble is, 80% is not collaboration . . . it’s domination . . . and customers do not like it. A well-trained listener can also pick up subtle emotional signals and buying is all about emotions. There is