| Late at night when everyone is sitting around the bar | | | | right questions to ask. They have the capacity to |
| at the national sales meeting, sales legends are told. | | | | become 'instant experts.' They use social and |
| Tales of early wins and dramatic closes. Sales people | | | | cognitive frameworks to help them to make sense |
| who closed big deals against terrific odds. The | | | | of a fast changing world. They continually update |
| competitive upset. The first million-dollar deal. | | | | their perception of the market with new information |
| These stories create the soul of the company's | | | | and are capable of using these insights to find and |
| culture. The sales people who closed these deals are | | | | develop new opportunities. |
| heroes. They did what no one else could. They saved | | | | Exceptional sales people are also good at generalizing |
| the day. They closed the big deal. They made a | | | | their experiences into principles to guide their actions. |
| difference. | | | | They can relate what they experience in one |
| If you listen to enough of these stories at enough | | | | situation to another. They are very creative in |
| different technology companies patterns start to | | | | applying what they learn to a wide network of |
| emerge. One interesting commonality is that there | | | | potential customers. They think outside of the box. |
| are so few sales heroes. In the early life of a | | | | Once they understand the fundamental value |
| technology company there is often a sales force of | | | | proposition of a new technology, they are very good |
| 20-30 people, yet there are only one or two | | | | at finding ways to apply the technology to new |
| 'superstars' who outsell all the rest. These 'sales | | | | business applications. |
| superstars' so dramatically outperform the rest of | | | | Sales superstars are good networkers. They know |
| the sales organization that their feats become | | | | who to call to help them think through opportunity |
| legendary. | | | | scenarios and how to engage visionary executives in |
| What makes these exceptional salespeople so | | | | a way that builds a sense of excitement around the |
| special? Why can they close deals before anyone | | | | new technology's potential. They are also good |
| else can? How do they sell the solution before the | | | | communicators. Once they understand the capabilities |
| product is even built? How do they crush the | | | | of the new technology, its value proposition and how |
| competition? What do they know that you don't | | | | it can be applied to support business strategies, they |
| know? | | | | are very good at succinctly getting their message |
| The exceptional sales person sells results. | | | | across. They can 'net it out.' |
| Exceptional sales performers do a better job than | | | | If we know what makes the exceptional sales |
| the rest of us because they know what information | | | | person successful, why are there so few of them? |
| they need and how to get it. They are not | | | | The answer is simple. Most sales people don't have |
| necessarily more intelligent than the rest of us. | | | | information they need to sell. |
| However, they are fast learners. They know the | | | | |