A survey of 44 US firms found that an outstanding salesperson (earning an average of $41,777) sold $6.7 million. Compare that with an average performer selling $3 million. The superior group sold 123 percent more than the average sales people, a difference of some 8,857 percent or 89 times the average employee salary. How much is that difference worth to your organisation's performance?

Since the early 70’s, leading organisations have been using competencies to help recruit, select and manage their outstanding performers after research found that traditional tests such as academic aptitude and knowledge tests, did not predict on the job success.

More recent research by individuals such as Daniel Goleman in Emotional Intelligence and Rick Boyatzis, in The Competent Manager, have reinforced and emphasised the importance of competencies as essential predictors of outstanding performance.

What are competencies?

Competencies can be defined as those characteristics which deliver outstanding performance in a given job or role.

The competencies which deliver real economic value to organisations are those which are based on what the outstanding or superior performers do differently compared to their average peer group. Research shows that outstanding performers, (roughly the top 10%):-

1. Do certain things more often than average performers
2. Do certain things to better effect than average performers
3. Do things the average performers don’t even know about

To increase the performance of your sales professionals, develop a performance based competency model based on your outstanding performers. Whilst these competencies will vary according to the type of customer, the timeframe and complexity of the sale, the product, the cultures and value of the organisation, they are likely to include:-

• Impact and Influence: the ability to persuade, convince or influence others
• Achievement Drive: the drive to work well or achieve a standard of excellence
• Initiative: the ability to think and act ahead and be proactive
• Interpersonal Understanding: wanting to understand other people
• Customer Service Orientation: focusing on identifying and meeting the needs of the customer
• Self Confidence: a belief in one’s own capability
• Relationship Building: the ability to build and maintain networks of people

Pam Kennett is a business consultant with more than 20 years' experience working with organisations to help them understand the talent of their staff through the implementation of competency models. She has an MBA from City University Business School (London), is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and is a registered member of the British Psychological Society.

She is the founder and Director of Chiswick Consulting Limited and can be contacted at +44 208747 1886 or http://www.chiswickconsulting.com

For more insights into how to develop and implement competencies to exploit performance, contact Pam