Jeffrie Story, founder of Unleash Your Sales DNA, is an absolute master of her craft and loves what she does. What is that you ask? She works with companies to lower the risk of making a bad Inside Sales hire. She also works with Frontline Reps and Managers to be more successful and overcome their call reluctance; which is your biggest sales problem. Did you know there are 12 types of call reluctance that are toxic to sales results in different ways? Read on to unpack this information via our interview.
Dionne: Tell me more about your assessment.
Jeffrie: I actually took this assessment at a conference years ago and embraced not only the assessment, but what to do with the results. The assessment is produced by Behavioral Sciences Research Press, Inc. and measures behaviors a person will do by leveraging science and sound psychological practices.
Dionne: Wow that sounds pretty impactful. Tell me more
Jeffrie: Well, it very fascinating. Because the assessment is scientifically driven and incorporates psychologies best practices, it can actually predict what a salesperson will do. Additionally, we take can that a step further and incorporate training to the front line reps to get over their call reluctance. We also train the managers on the most effective ways to coach each of their team members.
Dionne: Why is incorporating this assessment a good idea?
Jeffrie: The maximum cost of a bad hire can be as high as 5x that person’s annual salary to a minimum of one year annual salary. Not to mention the turn over costs associated with hiring the wrong person. I think the better question is why wouldn’t you incorporate an assessment?
Dionne: Break down the prediction areas – what are those?
Jeffrie: This assessment looks at four key areas. (1) How much this person will generate, (2) how soon this person will produce, (3) their drive – which is then broken into three additional parts of physical energy, whether or not they are goal driven, and how well they focus and (4) will this person be difficult (or not) to work with.
Dionne: What does a typical conversation look like with one of your customers’ first thinking about using this assessment?
Jeffrie: Our conversation typically goes through three phases. The first is understanding the customer’s issues, of course, then setting the context of call reluctance; essentially reframing call reluctance as how and why sales people are wasting time and avoiding initiating contact. We walk through the assessment during the second phase. And we drill down into a specific area as an example specific to their team. We then dive into the tools and resources to remove the non-conscious fear and get folks producing.
Dionne: Let’s talk a little more about the next steps. What happens after the assessment?
Jeffrie: Great question. The assessment provides clarity as to why an individual isn’t performing as well as they should be. We then provide a variety of solutions to get teams up and running in the form of one day training for the team, a chart for the manager showcasing the 12 call reluctance behaviors and what helps/hinders in getting over them, and/or a personalized 1:1 with either the manager or rep. It is just as important to train the manager as it is the rep!
Dionne: How is this assessment used for hiring?
Jeffrie: I work with my clients to make sure the assessment is using appropriately in hiring and focus on avoiding what hurts their sales the most. We really tailor the solution to each individual company.
Jeffrie has graciously accepted my request to talk more about this fascinating topic. Be on the lookout for a follow on webinar as we dive deeper into this topic.
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