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The Sales Dodo: Can Fear Motivate the Passive Sales Candidate?
May 16, 2008
Enticing salespeople who are not looking for a job to be receptive to another opportunity is challenging. The key is to figure out which of the two motivators springs them into action. Is it fear or greed? And if it's fear, how can you use it to your advantage?
By Lee B. Salz
I was never very good in science class which is probably why I'm not a doctor today. Yet, I remember vividly the exercise on heated atoms. The experiment started with a flask of water and a Bunsen burner. When the flame was applied to the flask, the atoms would dart all over the place in excitement. The energy remained as long as the heat was applied. As soon as the Bunsen burner was removed, the atoms moved back to a static state. All movement stopped.
What does science class have to do with recruiting salespeople? This science experiment teaches a lot about recruiting passive (those not presently looking for a job) sales candidates. All companies want to recruit the top talent sales people from other companies. However, that talent is usually locked-in pretty tight. The top salespeople are the top earners of the company so they probably aren't looking to leave.
What would get them to leave? How do you find these candidates? What would energize passive sales candidates to be excited about another opportunity?
There are two fundamental motivators of salespeople: fear and greed. It's very simple, just those two. But the wrong bait is many times used during sales recruiting. Many recruiters rely strictly on the "greed" motivator--"Come to our company and you can make oodles of money." That will work with some sales candidates, but certainly not all.
As sales managers have come to recognize, there is an equally-sized population motivated by fear. For those folks, the "greed" factor does not motivate them into action.
How do you motivate a passive sales candidate into action based on fear? You'll need to do your homework to effectively use fear as a motivator. Here are some examples of the fears sales people have:
• Leadership change. As a whole, salespeople don't like change. They like their territory and compensation to remain static unless they are getting more. When there is a change in leadership at the top, they get very uneasy about what happens next. Will the territory change? Perhaps, the compensation plan will change?
Thus, top salespeople could be open to listening to you about a new opportunity. How do you know when there is a leadership change? The Business Journal of that city will announce promotions/new hires at the management level of companies. A weekly read of this tool gives you new ponds for your recruit-fishing expedition. You also may learn that information from an active candidate who cites that as a reason for looking for another job.
• Company acquisition rumors. For the larger companies, the financial news (print, online, television) broadcasts these types of rumors. Whether the company is going to be acquired or is the "acquiree," there is uncertainty within the sales team. Salespeople don't like uncertainty. Post acquisition, there will be changes to the sales team, but who will still have a job and who won't?
Just like kids wonder what is in the wrapped box under the Christmas tree, salespeople wonder what their "gift" will be. For some, the uncertainty of the future is just enough to lead them to be receptive to a job exploration.
• Company financial woes. Again, this information is shared in the financial news media. It is also in your local business journal. Salespeople panic when they hear this kind of news. For one, they wonder if their company will survive. However, they also connect a few other dots. "If the company isn't doing well, I bet they lower the commission rate." Or, "I bet they cut the size of the sales team. Even if I survive the cut, I'll have to do twice the work for the same pay."
• Compensation change. How can you possibly know when there is a compensation plan change in another company? This information is certainly not shared in the media. When "active" candidates are asked why they are looking at other opportunities, they usually cite compensation plan changes as one of those reasons. Hearing that should trigger a campaign to find the top performers of that company so you can apply your own "Bunsen burner."
To motivate passive salespeople into action, you need the right bait. With research and technique, you can apply the heat that sends these candidates into a frenzy.
Lee B. Salz is President of Sales Dodo, author of "Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager," and an online columnist for Sales and Marketing Management magazine. He specializes in helping companies and their sales organizations adapt and thrive in the ever-changing world of business. Lee is available for keynote speaking, business consulting, and sales training. He can be reached via e-mail at lsalz@salesdodo.com, his website at www.salesdodo.com or by phone at 763.416.4321.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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