Is there a sales gene? The practical implications of this simple question are complex and significant for sales organizations. If sales success is determined by innate talent, then a sales organization would be well advised to focus most of their attention on recruiting the right talent for their sales team. In contrast, if sales ability is primarily a learned skill, then an investment in sales training would be wise. So where should sales organizations invest their resources to get the most bang for the buck – recruiting or training?
At Assess Systems, we have plenty of Ph.D.s on staff, but none that would qualify as a geneticist. However, we have spent the past 25 years researching the individual characteristics that lead to success in sales. To date, we have conducted dozens of studies and assessed over half a million sales professionals in a variety of industries and sales roles. Thus, while we haven’t sequenced the DNA of sales people, our research does have implications for the question of sales genes.
Across a broad variety of sales environments, people with certain characteristics tend to excel in sales. High levels of Assertiveness, Work Pace, and Resilience consistently show up in the profiles of top sales performers. Because these characteristics are developed early in life and remain stable over time, these core sales characteristics form a sort of “sales gene”. To use a sports analogy, we can think of people who possess the sales gene as having a general athleticism that helps them perform at almost any sport.
While our research does identify some common characteristics of good sales performers, there does not appear to be a “universal athlete” for all sales situations. The characteristics needed for success vary to some degree depending on the particular sales situation. For instance, an aggressive level of Assertiveness tends to help in transactional sales, while a more moderate level of Assertiveness is better for relationship sales. In unstructured sales situations, a high degree of Self-Reliance is desirable, while a less independent sales professional tends to excel in organizations with a systematic sales process. Thus, the ideal sales genes vary some based on the sales game.
To continue our sports analogy, every top athlete knows that practice makes perfect. Likewise, sales stars know that they must constantly hone their game to stay on top. In most of the studies we have conducted with sales professionals, we observe an experience effect. Holding the level of natural talent constant, sales professionals with more experience in the role tend to perform better. Presumably, more experienced sales people have gained important product and customer knowledge, learned and practiced appropriate sales techniques, and polished their presentation.
Returning to the initial question, the answer seems to be a qualified yes. Natural talent does play a significant role in sales success. Sales organizations are well advised to identify the particular sales gene that is appropriate for their sales environment and select people who possess the right characteristics. In addition, sales organizations are wise to help their sales force hone their natural talents through training and coaching programs that focus on knowledge and technique. Ultimately, the formula for sales success is Performance = Talent + Experience.
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