and was followed by assessments of people in the second tier (average-to-
good producers) and in the third tier (low-level producers) of perform-
ance. Descriptors related to organization, selling skills, product knowledge,
communication skills, and servicing standards were not included, because
these were viewed as trainable competencies. In searching for critical mass,
we were looking for features that were native to the individual—natural at-
tributes and competencies that cannot be taught (but can be encouraged).
The next step was to interview the subjects themselves. We began by in-
terviewing the salespeople in the top tier. We asked them to describe the
intangibles that made them successful in their careers. We then asked the
sales managers, who worked with them on an everyday basis, to describe
the intangibles for success they observed in these top performers. We did
not give the descriptors that Larry or the performers themselves had used
to describe their attributes. We encouraged everyone we interviewed to de-
scribe (in depth) the features that set each individual apart as a person and
as a performer.
After we received their feedback, we categorized the descriptions we
harvested into simple, understandable terms. We discovered that catego-
rizing their input was fairly easy to accomplish, because the descriptions
seemed to flow into four basic classifications. The four categories of critical
mass that emerged from these descriptions were:
- Competitive drive
- Achievementality
- Teachability
- Wit
In Figure 4.3, I have listed the various components that go into forging
each of these cornerstones for sales success. It is no secret that great sales-
people are competitive by nature, but the descriptions we heard of top
achievers demonstrated that there is more to competitive drive than meets
the eye.
Critical Mass Component #1: Competitive Drive
The ingredients we found that indicate a high level of competitive drive
include:
- Resourceful. Demonstrates competitive drive with limited resources
and limiting circumstances.
Critical Mass for Sales Success 39