March 11, 2010 - FPG
Forget about experience, age, background, what industry your candidates come from and how many degrees they have. The SEE Factor is primarily what you should be looking for.
Sincerity: Effective selling is “relationship selling.” It is selling something you believe in. It is selling with conviction and purpose. It is selling sincerely. You need earnest people who care about the customer and understand that what they sell will enhance the customer’s quality of life. Sincerity needs to be a non-negotiable attribute requirement for any new-hire candidate you are considering.
Empathy: Empathetic people relate well to most other people. They like to work with them and they love to help them. Frontline people with this quality can relate to your customers, build rapport quickly and find common ground. They make great first impressions and customers instantly like them.
Ego: Your team also needs people with strong egos. An individual with a strong ego (as opposed to a false sense of superiority) is someone that wants to be the best and succeed day in and day out, someone that does not settle for mediocrity, wants to maximize every opportunity and does not crumble as a result of customer rejection.
Make no mistake these are the qualities of a top performer – the qualities of your next superstar. They are not common, and not easy to find, but they do exist. Now that you know what attributes to look for, all you have to do is make a personal commitment to sculpt your team one strong performer at a time.
