2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive The survey was
conducted online between November 20 and December 12, 2012, and
consists of 1,201 qualified respondents: 600 Sales Representatives;
301 Sales Leaders; and 300 Sales Buyers. To qualify for the survey,
all respondents met the following criteria: Adult (age 18+); Reside
of the United States; Employed full-time and not self-employed; and
Do not work from home if working for a business with 10 or fewer
employees. Further, to qualify for one of the three segments, they
had to meet the following: Sales Representatives: Identified
themselves as a Sales Representative and engaged primarily in
Business to Business sales. Sales Leaders: Identified themselves as
a Sales Leader or Sales Manager (i.e. have direct responsibility
for one or more Sales Reps) and engaged primarily in Business to
Business sales. Sales Buyers: Identified themselves as a Sales
Buyer (i.e. purchasing from Sales Reps) and does not work in
Procurement. 4 Methodology
Slide 5
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive The objectives of
this study were to: Better understand the gaps in skills
demonstrated by Sales Reps, and the skills desired among sales
professionals and their managers, and sales professionals and their
buyers. Validate that the way companies currently look at sales
professionals and their skills is inherently flawed. Sales needs to
catch up in terms of core competencies that are on the needs/wants
list of both managers and buyers. Better understand how the way
people have learned has changed (especially sales professionals),
and better understand the potential need for more e-Learning and
self- paced learning opportunities. Better understand current gaps
in sales training and methods, especially in formal sales training
programs generally used by employers. 5 Objectives
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive There is a fairly
high level of agreement among Sales Reps, Sales Leaders, and Sales
Buyers about the skills that sales professionals need to be
successful. Ability to identify customer needs and ability to
generate trust are high on the list for all three groups. Some
attributes are not as high on the list for Sales Buyers because
they are more internal issues such as using sales tools/technology,
managing resources, monitoring performance, etc. These attributes
do not have a direct impact on solving the Sales Buyers business
problem, thus it makes sense that they would not be as relevant to
that group. Sales Reps and Sales Leaders agree that understanding
strengths and weaknesses and encouraging development are the
hallmarks of an effective Sales Leader. It is critical that the
sales development for Sales Reps is focused on the areas that are
important to Sales Buyers who are making purchase decisions, so
that Sales Reps can be as effective as possible in these key areas.
7 Executive Summary
Slide 8
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive Sales Reps are
familiar with formal sales training and they receive it often, and
most feel it is beneficial. About 75% of Sales Reps say they have
received formal sales training and about 40% say they receive
formal training on a daily or weekly basis (14% daily, 26% weekly),
and a similar percentage agree that this is about the right
frequency for training. Given this fairly high frequency, it may be
useful to understand exactly what Sales Reps consider to be formal
sales training. Most Sales Reps feel they benefit from training,
while those that do not generally feel that sales success is
largely based on personality traits / characteristics that cannot
be taught. There is a disconnect between Sales Reps and Sales
Leaders / Sales Buyers on identification of customer needs. Both
Sales Leaders / Sales Buyers feel that Sales Reps have room for
improvement on identification of customer needs. However only 11%
of Sales Reps think this is an area for improvement. This may be a
training need that is currently not being recognized, and at
minimum, a clearer definition of this concept should be
established. 8 Executive Summary
Slide 9
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive Sales Reps, Sales
Leaders, and Sales Buyers all agree that identifying needs and
generating trust are key attributes for Sales Rep success as well
as important factors in the sales purchase decision. However, how
the groups define trust may vary. Reps put more emphasis on being
persuasive and building a quick rapport than both Sales Leaders and
Sales Buyers. Sales Buyers place their emphasis on areas that dont
sound salesy on the surface, but instead, will help Sales Reps help
Sales Buyers solve their business problems. Identifying win/win
scenarios Identifying customer needs Critical thinking Presenting
information effectively Value creation Identifying (and presumably
understanding) problems Consequently, from the Sales Buyer
perspective, trust probably has less to do with rapport and more to
do with seeing evidence that the Sales Rep can provide value in the
ways listed above. This evidence leads to trust, and presumably,
would lead to rapport as well. 9 Executive Summary
Slide 10
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive Sales Reps, Sales
Leaders, and Sales Buyers all generally agree that formal sales
training is most effective when it is continually taking place, and
when it is conducted in person. However, the majority also agree
that most sales training is just somewhat effective. So there is
room for improvement. Most sales training is conducted in person,
however the top preference for Sales Reps would be a blend of
in-person sales training and online training. A smaller, but still
sizeable, group of Sales Reps would prefer self-paced online
training over the other options. This is an area of potential
expansion which Careerbuilder can explore. Sales training should
focus on the skills that would allow Sales Reps to deliver what
clients want the ability to partner with them by understanding
their business, identifying both problems and solutions, and
finding win/win scenarios. 10 Executive Summary
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 12 Base: All
Qualified Respondents: Sales Reps (n=600), Sales Leaders (n=301),
Sales Buyers (n=300) Q700 Indicate how important you feel each one
is in order to have success as a sales rep. ? Q900 Thinking about
the sales staff you manage and your own experiences, indicate how
important you feel each attribute is in order to have success as a
sales rep. Q1100 Thinking about the Sales Reps you interact with in
your position, indicate how important you feel each attribute is
for a sales rep to be considered successful. Sales RepsSales
LeadersSales Buyers Identifying customer needs 92%84%85% Reaching
the decision-maker 90%81%73% Generating trust 90%84%85% Identifying
problems 84%74%73% Building rapport quickly 83%77%69% Judgment and
decision making 83%77%76% Time management 83%75%73% Service
orientation 82%74%78% Negotiation skills 81%77%67% Making effective
presentations 80%76%71% Critical thinking 80%75%72% Handling stress
80%70%69% Identifying win-win alternatives 79%75%72% Setting clear
expectations 79%77%67% Focus on value creation 78%72%65% Being
persuasive 78%69%58% Being able to quickly determine whether a
potential customer is serious 78%71%62% There is general agreement
among the three groups, with some notable exceptions circled below.
In general, Sales Leaders and Sales Buyers tended to agree with
each other more than either group agrees with the Sales Reps.
Attributes Extremely/Very Important In Order To Have Success As A
Sales Rep
Slide 13
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 13 Base: All
Qualified Respondents: Sales Reps (n=600), Sales Leaders (n=301),
Sales Buyers (n=300) Q700 Indicate how important you feel each one
is in order to have success as a sales rep. ? Q900 Thinking about
the sales staff you manage and your own experiences, indicate how
important you feel each attribute is in order to have success as a
sales rep. Q1100 Thinking about the Sales Reps you interact with in
your position, indicate how important you feel each attribute is
for a sales rep to be considered successful. Sales RepsSales
LeadersSales Buyers Setting appropriate goals 78%76%67%
Articulating value propositions 77%76%70% Complex problem solving
abilities 76%72%67% Active learning 75%69%63% Developing meaningful
alternatives 74%71%69% Emotional intelligence 72%66%62% Identifying
development needs 71%70%60% Identifying measurable results
70%74%67% Using sales tools 70%65%53% Using sales processes
69%67%47% Using technology 69%67%56% Monitoring performance
69%71%59% Focus on behavior 68%62%60% Managing people resources
67%72%57% Identifying performance gaps 67%64%58% Management of
financial resources 66%61%56% As may be expected, Sales Buyers are
less interested in the use of sales tools or processes or
technology, and instead tend to focus on issues that get closer to
solving their business problem (previous slide). Attributes
Extremely/Very Important In Order To Have Success As A Sales Rep
(contd)
Slide 14
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 14 Base: All
Qualified Respondents: Sales Reps (n=600), Sales Leaders (n=301),
Sales Buyers (n=300) Q705 Please indicate the top five attributes
that you think have the most influence on a customers decision to
buy a product or service from a salesperson. Q910 Please indicate
the top five attributes that you think have the most influence on a
customers decision to buy a product or service from a salesperson.
Q1110 Please indicate the top five attributes that you think have
the most influence on your decision to buy a product or service
from a salesperson. Sales RepsSales LeadersSales Buyers Generating
trust 49%43%45% Identifying customer needs 45%39%47% Reaching the
decision-maker 28%29%11% Building rapport quickly 25%22%23% Service
orientation 23%19%25% Identifying problems 21%17%18% Making
effective presentations 20%16%18% Focus on value creation 20% 18%
Articulating value propositions 18% 19% Negotiation skills
17%25%19% Identifying win-win alternatives 16%15%21% Being
persuasive 15%17%12% Critical thinking 13%16%19% Time management
12%15%14% Emotional intelligence 11% Being able to quickly
determine whether a potential customer is serious 11%10%11% All
three groups see trust and identification of needs as the key
factors in deciding to purchase. After that, the relative ranking
of the other attributes is similar across the three groups (with
the exception of some attributes that logically would be less
meaningful to Sales Buyers). Attributes Most Influential On
Customers Decision To Buy Product Top Five
Slide 15
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 15 Base: All
Qualified Respondents: Sales Reps (n=600), Sales Leaders (n=301),
Sales Buyers (n=300) Q705 Please indicate the top five attributes
that you think have the most influence on a customers decision to
buy a product or service from a salesperson. Q910 Please indicate
the top five attributes that you think have the most influence on a
customers decision to buy a product or service from a salesperson.
Q1110 Please indicate the top five attributes that you think have
the most influence on your decision to buy a product or service
from a salesperson. Sales RepsSales LeadersSales Buyers Complex
problem solving abilities 11%10%17% Identifying development needs
11%8%9% Setting clear expectations 10%11%17% Identifying measurable
results 10%7%11% Judgment and decision making 10%15%13% Using sales
tools 10%9%4% Handling stress 9%8%5% Developing meaningful
alternatives 9%11%7% Using technology 9%11% Active learning 8% 7%
Using sales processes 8%10%5% Managing people resources 8%5%6%
Management of financial resources 6%5%12% Identifying performance
gaps 6%4%5% Focus on behavior 6%7%6% Setting appropriate goals
5%9%7% Monitoring performance 5% 7% Attributes Most Influential On
Customers Decision To Buy Product Top Five (contd)
Slide 16
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 16 Base: All
Qualified Respondents: Sales Reps (n=600), Sales Leaders (n=301),
Sales Buyers (n=300) Q715 Taking into account the importance of
each attribute to yourself and your customers, which attributes, if
any, do you feel you need to improve on? Q915 Taking into account
the importance of each attribute to yourself and your customers,
which attributes, if any, do you feel your Sales Reps nee to
improve on? Q1120 Taking into account the importance of each
attribute to you, which attributes do you feel the Sales Reps you
work with need to improve on? Sales RepsSales LeadersSales Buyers
Time management 27%33%31% Handling stress 21%20%15% Negotiation
skills 18%20% Being persuasive 17%16% Using technology 17%18%17%
Reaching the decision-maker 17%22%13% Being able to quickly
determine whether a potential customer is serious 16%20%18% Using
sales tools 15%19%12% Managing people resources 14%11% Using sales
processes 14% 10% Emotional intelligence 13%11%18% Identifying
development needs 13%10%17% Identifying performance gaps 13%10%11%
Identifying win-win alternatives 13%17%18% Making effective
presentations 13%19% Identifying measurable results 12%10%15% All
three groups see time management as an area that Sales Reps need to
improve, and making effective presentations and identifying win/win
scenarios are areas that both Sales Leaders and Sales Buyers see
room for improvement. After that, the relative ranking of the other
attributes is similar across the three groups, with some exceptions
(including some attributes that logically would be less meaningful
to Sales Buyers). Attributes That Need To Be Improved On By Sales
Reps
Slide 17
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 17 Base: All
Qualified Respondents: Sales Reps (n=600), Sales Leaders (n=301),
Sales Buyers (n=300) Q715 Taking into account the importance of
each attribute to yourself and your customers, which attributes, if
any, do you feel you need to improve on? Q915 Taking into account
the importance of each attribute to yourself and your customers,
which attributes, if any, do you feel your Sales Reps nee to
improve on? Q1120 Taking into account the importance of each
attribute to you, which attributes do you feel the Sales Reps you
work with need to improve on? Sales RepsSales LeadersSales Buyers
Critical thinking 12%19% Setting appropriate goals 12%14%
Articulating value propositions 11%13% Focus on value creation
11%17%18% Identifying problems 11%17%23% Identifying customer needs
11%28%29% Active learning 11%15% Setting clear expectations
11%16%19% Complex problem solving abilities 10%14%17% Building
rapport quickly 10%16% Service orientation 10%14%19% Developing
meaningful alternatives 10%14%18% Monitoring performance 10%12%14%
Management of financial resources 10%9% Focus on behavior 10%8%12%
Judgment and decision making 9%16%19% Generating trust 8%19%25%
Sales Reps seem to be less focused on several areas that both Sales
Leaders and Sales Buyers see as potential areas for improvement.
Attributes That Need To Be Improved On By Sales Reps (contd)
Slide 18
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 18 Base: All
Qualified Respondents: Sales Reps (n=600), Sales Leaders (n=301),
Q775 In your opinion, what qualities/skills make an effective sales
leader/manager? Q1012 In your opinion, what qualities/skills make
an effective sales leader/manager? Sales RepsSales Leaders
Understanding strengths and weaknesses 71%75% Encouraging
development 70%71% Coaching 55%64% Not micro-managing 49% Being
hands-off 29%24% Other 3%4% Both Sales Reps and Sales Leaders are
in general agreement about the qualities and skills of an effective
Sales Leader. Qualities/Skills That Make An Effective Sales
Leader/Manager
Slide 19
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 19 Base: All
Qualified Sales Reps/Leaders: Sales Reps (n=600), Sales Leaders
(n=301), Q2005 Please describe the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the following statements about sales training. Sales
RepsSales Leaders Sales training is a continual process 91%89%
Sales training is most effective when conducted in person 81%80%
Sales training needs to be conducted with multiple people that can
engage in group discussions, role playing, etc. 71%69% Sales
training is most effective when it combines online and in-person
training 61%52% Online sales training is an effective way to learn
sales methods 58%44% Sales Reps learn better in an individual
setting, rather than in a group 50%43% Sales training is best
accomplished in intensive day- long session(s) 48%43% Both Sales
Reps and Sales Leaders are in general agreement about these aspects
of sales training, especially that it is a continual process and
learned most effectively in person. Agreement With Statements About
Sales Training
Slide 20
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 20 Base: All
Qualified Sales Representatives Who Have Had Formal Sales Training
(n=459) Q745 In general, how effective do you think your formal
sales training has been to you during your career? Base: All
Qualified Sales Leaders Who Have Offered Formal Sales Training
(n=232) Q945 In general, how effective do you think your formal
sales training has been to your sales staff? Sales RepsSales
Leaders Effective (net) 81%84% Very effective 28%20% Somewhat
effective 53%64% Neither effective nor ineffective 8%6% Ineffective
(net) 10% Somewhat ineffective 8% Not at all effective 2% Sales
Reps and Sales Leaders both feel that Sales Training is effective,
but most feel it is only somewhat effective - so there appears to
be room for improvement. Effectiveness Of Formal Sales Training On
Sales Staff
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 22 Base: All
Qualified Sales Representatives (n=600) Q700 Indicate how important
you feel each one is in order to have success as a sales rep. ?
Identifying customer needs, reaching the decision-maker and
generating trust are considered extremely/very important in having
success as a sales rep by at least nine-in-ten Sales Reps, although
many attributes are seen as important. Top 2 Box SALES REPS
Attributes Extremely/Very Important In Order To Have Success As A
Sales Rep
Slide 23
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 23 When Sales Reps
were asked to cite the five attributes they believed would be most
influential on a customers decision to buy a product/service from
them, generating trust, identifying customer needs, reaching
decision makers, building rapport quickly and service orientation
topped the list. Base: All Qualified Sales Representatives (n=600)
Q710 Please indicate the top five attributes that you think have
the most influence on a customers decision to buy a product or
service from a salesperson. SALES REPS Attributes Most Influential
On Customers Decision To Buy Product Top Five
Slide 24
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 24 Base: All
Qualified Sales Representatives (n=600) Q715 Taking into account
the importance of each attribute to yourself and your customers,
which attributes, if any, do you feel you need to improve on? Time
management is the top attribute Sales Reps feel they need to
improve on. Handling stress follows. Identification of customer
needs is well down the list, although both Sales Leaders and Sales
Buyers feel that Sales Reps need improvement in this area. SALES
REPS Attributes That Sales Reps Feel They Need To Improve On
Slide 25
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 25 Approximately 3
in 4 Sales Reps have had formal sales training with the bulk of
them having internal training by someone at their company. 74% Yes
(net) Base: All Qualified Sales Representatives (n=600) Q720 Have
you had any formal sales training (this does not include any HR or
new hire training) during your time as a sales rep with your
current employer? (multiple response) SALES REPS Had Formal Sales
Training
Slide 26
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 26 Four in ten
Sales Reps who have had formal sales training report being trained
on a daily or weekly basis 14% report being trained on a daily
basis, while 26% on a weekly basis. This is more prevalent at large
companies than small. Further research, formal or informal, might
help clarify the definition of formal sales training to understand
these relatively high frequencies. Base: All Qualified Sales
Representatives Who Have Had Formal Sales Training (n=459) Q725 How
often have you had formal sales training during your time as a
sales rep? SALES REPS Frequency They Have Had Formal Sales Training
As A Sales Rep
Slide 27
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 27 Frequency of
actual training closely reflects how often Sales Reps feel they
should be getting training as nearly 40% also feel they should
trained on a daily or weekly basis. Base: All Qualified Sales
Representatives Who Have Had Formal Sales Training (n=459) Q730 How
often do you feel formal sales training should be conducted at your
company? SALES REPS Frequency They Feel Formal Sales Training
Should Be Conducted At Company
Slide 28
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 28 Training in
person at their company location is the most popular location for
sales training, followed by a blend of online and in-person
training. Base: All Qualified Sales Representatives Who Have Had
Formal Sales Training (n=459) Q735 How was the formal sales
training conducted? SALES REPS Way Most Recent Formal Sales
Training Was Conducted
Slide 29
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 29 Most Sales Reps
who have had formal sales training prefer instructor involvement
either a blended form of training (between online and in-person) or
an in-person training from an instructor. Base: All Qualified Sales
Representatives Who Have Had Formal Sales Training (n=459) Q770
What would be your preferred format for formal sales training?
SALES REPS Preferred Format For Formal Sales Training
Slide 30
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 30 Roughly
one-quarter of formal sales training sessions dedicated 1-3 hours.
Training for 1-2 business days is also fairly common, as about 20%
reported sales training for one business day and a similar
percentage said two business days. Base: All Qualified Sales
Representatives Who Have Had Formal Sales Training (n=459) Q740 How
many work hours / days were dedicated to the formal sales training?
SALES REPS Time Dedicated To Most Recent Formal Sales Training
Slide 31
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 31 The vast
majority of those who were trained feel the training was effective,
and very few say it was ineffective. However, about half feel it
was somewhat effective as opposed to very effective. Base: All
Qualified Sales Representatives Who Have Had Formal Sales Training
(n=459) Q745 In general, how effective do you think your formal
sales training has been to you during your career? 81% Effective
(net) 10% Ineffective (net) SALES REPS Effectiveness Of Formal
Sales Training On Career
Slide 32
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive Base: All Qualified
Sales Representatives (n=600) Q755 Which of the following
attributes do you think formal sales training could have the most
positive impact on? 32 Roughly one-third of Sales Reps feel that
formal sales training could have the most positive impact on their
ability to make effective presentations, negotiate, use sales
processes and sales tools, and manage their time. SALES REPS Sales
Attributes On Which Formal Sales Training Could Have The Most
Positive Impact
Slide 33
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 33 Base: All
Qualified Sales Representatives Who Have Not Had Formal Sales
Training (n=141) Q760 Do you feel that you could benefit from
formal sales training? Base: All Qualified Sales Representatives
Who Have Not Had Formal Sales Training And Feel Would Not Benefit
From Formal Sales Training (n=33) Q765 Why do you feel that you
would not benefit from formal sales training? Reasons Why They Feel
They Would Not Benefit Sales success depends largely on personality
characteristics that cant be taught 54% I think it is better to
learn from experience 48% Other24% Of those who have not had formal
sales training, nearly one-half feel they could benefit from it. Of
the 21% (n = 33) who do not feel they would benefit from it, more
than one-half feel that sales success depends largely on
personality characteristics that cant be taught. Could Benefit From
Formal Sales Training SALES REPS
Slide 34
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 34 Seven-in-ten
Sales Reps say that understanding strengths and weaknesses and
encouraging development are what make an effective sales
leader/manager. Base: All Qualified Sales Representatives (n=600)
Q775 In your opinion, what qualities/skills make an effective sales
leader/manager? SALES REPS Qualities/Skills That Make An Effective
Sales Leader/Manager
Slide 35
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 35 When Sales Reps
were asked the qualities/skills that they personally need help
with, encouraging development and understanding strengths and
weaknesses top the list. Base: All Qualified Sales Representatives
(n=600) Q778 Which of the following qualities/skills do you
personally need help with? SALES REPS Qualities/Skills That They
Personally Need Help With
Slide 36
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 36 Four-in-ten
Sales Reps do not have a formal degree in Sales. Of those who do,
degrees in Business Administration and Sales / Marketing are the
most commonly acquired degrees. Base: All Qualified Sales
Representatives (n=600) Q780 What type of formal degree in sales,
if any, do you have? Undergraduate DegreeGraduate Degree Business
Administration25%20% Sales Marketing23%18% Sales18%14% None52%61%
39% do not have a formal degree SALES REPS Have Formal Degree In
Sales
Slide 37
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 37 Nearly all of
those without a formal degree in Sales have never considered
pursuing a formal degree in sales. Base: All Qualified Sales
Representatives Without A Formal Degree (n=215) Q785 Have you ever
considered pursuing a formal degree in sales? SALES REPS Have
Considered Pursuing A Formal Degree In Sales
Slide 38
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 38 Of those without
a formal degree that have never considered pursuing a formal degree
in sales, approximately six-in-ten were unaware that these types of
degrees were even available. Base: All Qualified Sales
Representatives Without A Formal Degree Who Have Not Considered A
Formal Degree In Sales (n=186) Q789 Did you know that there were
formal degrees in sales available? SALES REPS Aware Of Formal
Degrees In Sales
Slide 39
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 39 Approximately
one-half of Sales Reps are interested in additional training
outside of the type of training they currently receive. Base: All
Qualified Sales Representatives (n=600) Q787 Do you want additional
training outside of the type of training you are currently
receiving? SALES REPS Want Additional Training Outside Of The Type
Of Training Currently Receiving
Slide 40
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive Nearly all agree
that sales training is a continual process. Agreement that sales
training is most effective when conducted in person is also high at
81%. % Agree 40 Base: All Qualified Sales Representatives (n=600)
Q2005 Please describe the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements about sales training. SALES REPS
Agreement With Statements About Sales Training
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 42 Base: All
Qualified Sales Leaders (n=301) Q900 Thinking about the sales staff
you manage and your own experiences, indicate how important you
feel each attribute is in order to have success as a sales rep.
From the Sales Leaders perspective, generating trust, identifying
customer needs, and reaching decision makers are cited as the top
attributes needed to be a successful sales rep (these were also the
top three from the sales rep perspective). Top 2 Box SALES LEADERS
Attributes Extremely/Very Important In Order To Have Success As A
Sales Rep
Slide 43
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 43 When Sales
Leaders were asked to cite the five attributes they believed would
be most influential on a customers decision to buy a
product/service from Sales Reps, generating trust, identifying
customer needs, reaching decision makers are among those on top of
the list the same identified by Sales Reps themselves and topping
the list of attributes that would make successful Sales Reps. Base:
All Qualified Sales Leaders (n=301) Q910 Please indicate the top
five attributes that you think have the most influence on a
customers decision to buy a product or service from a salesperson.
SALES LEADERS Attributes Most Influential On Customers Decision To
Buy Product Top Five
Slide 44
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 44 Base: All
Qualified Sales Leaders (n=301) Q915 Taking into account the
importance of each attribute to yourself and your customers, which
attributes, if any, do you feel your Sales Reps nee to improve on?
One-third of Sales Leaders feel Sales Reps need to improve on time
management the top attribute. Identifying customer needs follows,
although only 11% of Sales Reps feel they need to improve in this
area (see Sales Rep section). SALES LEADERS Attributes That Need To
Be Improved On By Sales Reps
Slide 45
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 45 When asked about
their own sales training, one-quarter of Sales Leaders say they
have received formal sales training every few months. Approximately
three-in-ten have received formal sales training weekly/monthly.
Base: All Qualified Sales Leaders (n=301) Q928 How often have you
received formal sales training during your career in Sales? SALES
LEADERS Frequency They Received Formal Sales Training During Career
In Sales
Slide 46
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 46 The vast
majority of Sales Leaders have offered formal sales training to
their staff most of this training was internal training by someone
at their company. 75% Yes (net) Base: All Qualified Sales Leaders
(n=301) Q920 Have you ever offered formal sales training to your
staff during your time as a sales leader? Offer Formal Sales
Training
Slide 47
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 47 Sales Leaders
say that budget-related issues are the main obstacle to offering
formal sales training even more often to their staff. Base: All
Qualified Sales Leaders Who Have Offered Formal Sales Training
(n=232) Q955 Which of the following, if any, are obstacles in
providing formal sales training to your staff more often? SALES
LEADERS Obstacles In Providing Formal Sales Training To Staff More
Often
Slide 48
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 48 Sales Leaders
who have not offered formal sales training consider budget-related
issues the main obstacle. Base: All Qualified Sales Leaders Who
Have Not Offered Formal Sales Training (n=69) Q930 Which of the
following, if any, are obstacles in providing formal sales training
to your staff? SALES LEADERS Obstacles In Providing Any Formal
Sales Training To Staff
Slide 49
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 49 Sales Leaders
generally offer formal sales training on a monthly basis or every
few months. Base: All Qualified Sales Leaders Who Have Offered
Formal Sales Training (n=232) Q935 How often have you offered
formal sales training to your staff during your time as a sales
leader at your current company? SALES LEADERS Frequency Formal
Sales Training Was Offered To Staff
Slide 50
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 50 More than
one-half of Sales Leaders who have offered formal sales training
say that the training was conducted in person at their company
location. Other locations are less popular. Base: All Qualified
Sales Leaders Who Have Offered Formal Sales Training (n=232) Q940
How was the formal sales training conducted? SALES LEADERS Way Most
Recent Formal Sales Training Was Conducted
Slide 51
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 51 About 2/3 of
Sales Leaders who have offered formal sales training say it was
somewhat effective but only 20% said it was very effective. These
percentages were similar to Sales Rep opinions. Base: All Qualified
Sales Leaders Who Have Offered Formal Sales Training (n=232) Q945
In general, how effective do you think your formal sales training
has been to your sales staff? 84% Effective (net) 10% Ineffective
(net) SALES LEADERS Effectiveness Of Formal Sales Training On Sales
Staff
Slide 52
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 52 More than half
(55%) of Sales Leaders say their company spends $10,000 or less on
training each year, and about 2/3 of that expenditure is on
internal training. Base: All Qualified Sales Leaders (n=301) Q960
Annually, how much does your company invest in training? Base: All
Qualified Sales Leaders Who Spend Money On Training (n=263) Q965 Of
the amount your company invests in sales training, what percentage
goes toward internal training vs. external training? Of the money
invested: 62% is invested in internal training 38% is invested in
external training 55% SALES LEADERS Annual Company Investments In
Training
Slide 53
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 53 About 50% of
Sales Leaders say that 16 hours or less is spent on informal
training in an average quarter. Base: All Qualified Sales Leaders
(n=301) Q970 In an average quarter, how much time is spent on
informal training? 49% SALES LEADERS Time Spent On Informal
Training In An Average Quarter
Slide 54
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 54 Approximately 3
in 10 sales leader say a sales rep having a sales certification is
extremely or very important in their decision to hire that sales
rep. Base: All Qualified Sales Leaders (n=301) Q975 Please indicate
how important you feel a sales certification is when you are
evaluating Sales Reps during the hiring process? 31% Extremely /
Very Important (net) SALES LEADERS Importance Of A Sales
Certification When Evaluating Sales Reps
Slide 55
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 55 One in four
Sales Leaders feel that entry-level candidates for sales rep
positions are extremely or very prepared to be successful in a
sales career; however, fully 50% feel that entry-level candidates
are either not at all prepared or somewhat prepared. Base: All
Qualified Sales Leaders (n=301) Q980 When hiring for a entry-level
sales position, how prepared do you think most Sales Reps are to be
successful in a sales career? 25% Extremely / Very Important (net)
50% Not at all Prepared / Somewhat Prepared (net) SALES LEADERS How
Prepared Sales Reps Are When Hiring For Entry-Level Sales
Positions
Slide 56
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 56 Fifty-three
percent of Sales Leaders say that at least some of their staff has
a formal degree in sales with the majority of them saying that all
of their employees have a formal degree in sales. 53% Yes (net)
Base: All Qualified Sales Leaders (n=301) Q985 Do you have anyone
on your staff that has a formal degree in sales? SALES LEADERS
Staff Have Formal Sales Degrees In Sales
Slide 57
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 57 Approximately
three-in-four Sales Leaders who have staff with a formal degree in
sales feel that these employees perform at a higher level than
those who do not have one. Base: All Qualified Sales Leaders Who
Have Staff With A Formal Degree In Sales (n=164) Q990 Do you feel
that those employees you have with formal degrees in sales perform
at a higher level than those who do not? SALES LEADERS Feel Those
With Formal Degrees In Sales Perform At A Higher Level Than
Others
Slide 58
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 58 When Sales
Leaders were asked whether the highest performer was the one with a
formal education versus one with experience but no formal
education, about 2/3 chose the latter. Base: All Qualified Sales
Leaders (n=301) Q995 In your opinion, which Sales Reps are the
highest performers - those with a formal sales education, or those
with sales experience but no formal training? SALES LEADERS Highest
Performers: Formal Education vs. Sales Experience
Slide 59
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 59 Base: All
Qualified Sales Leaders (n=301) Q1005 In which areas do your Sales
Reps not have enough training on? Roughly one in four Sales Leaders
feel their Sales Reps do not have enough training on time
management and negotiation skills. SALES LEADERS Attributes That
Sales Reps Do Not Have Enough Training On
Slide 60
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 60 Nearly three in
four sales professionals hired by Sales Leaders have prior
experience in sales, while roughly four in ten have a Bachelors
degree in Business Administration. Base: All Qualified Sales
Leaders (n=301) Q1010 When hiring sales professionals what type of
background do they have? SALES LEADERS Background of Sales
Professionals That Are Hired
Slide 61
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 61 More than seven
in ten Sales Leaders say that understanding strengths and
weaknesses and encouraging development make an effective sales
leader/manager. These were consistent with what Sales Reps said as
well. Base: All Qualified Sales Leaders (n=301) Q1012 In your
opinion, what qualities/skills make an effective sales
leader/manager? SALES LEADERS Qualities/Skills That Make An
Effective Sales Leader/Manager
Slide 62
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 62 When asked about
skills they personally need help with, approximately one-third of
Sales Leaders say they need help with being hands-off and coaching
although more than also feel they could improve on development and
understanding of strengths and weaknesses, which both Sales Reps
and Sales Leaders feel are important. Base: All Qualified Sales
Leaders (n=301) Q1014 Which of the following qualities/skills do
you personally need help with? SALES LEADERS Qualities/Skills That
Sales Leaders Personally Need Help With
Slide 63
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 63 Of the
statements tested about sales training, more than two-thirds of
Sales Leaders agree that sales training is a continuous process,
most effective when in person, and needs to be conducted with
multiple people. This was very consistent with the thoughts of
Sales Reps. % Agree Base: All Qualified Sales Leaders (n=301) Q2005
Please describe the extent to which you agree or disagree with the
following statements about sales training. SALES LEADERS Agreement
With Statements About Sales Training
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 65 Base: All
Qualified Sales Buyers (n=300) Q1100 Thinking about the Sales Reps
you interact with in your position, indicate how important you feel
each attribute is for a sales rep to be considered successful. More
than eight in ten Sales Buyers feel that identifying customer needs
and generating trust are two qualities a sales rep needs to have to
be successful. This is consistent with both Sales Reps and Sales
Leaders. Top 2 Box SALES BUYERS Attributes Extremely/Very Important
In Order To Have Success As A Sales Rep
Slide 66
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 66 Sales Buyers say
that identifying customer needs and generating trust are also those
attributes most influential on their decision to buy a product from
a salesperson. As weve seen these are attributes that are important
to both Sales Reps and Sales Buyers as well. Base: All Qualified
Sales Buyers (n=300) Q1110 Please indicate the top five attributes
that you think have the most influence on your decision to buy a
product or service from a salesperson. SALES BUYERS Attributes Most
Influential On Customers Decision To Buy Product Top Five
Slide 67
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 67 Base: All
Qualified Sales Buyers (n=300) Q1120 Taking into account the
importance of each attribute to you, which attributes do you feel
the Sales Reps you work with need to improve on? At least
one-quarter of Sales Buyers feel that Sales Reps need to improve on
time management, identification of the needs of their customers,
and generating trust very similar to the opinions of Sales Reps and
Sales Leaders. SALES BUYERS Attributes That Need To Be Improved On
By Sales Reps
Slide 68
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 68 Approximately
three-in-four Sales Buyers feel Sales Reps should have formal sales
training. Base: All Qualified Sales Buyers (n=300) Q1115 In
general, do you think that Sales Reps should be required to have
formal sales training? SALES BUYERS Should Sales Reps Be Required
To Have Formal Sales Training
Slide 69
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 69 A similar
percentage (75%) feel that the Sales Reps they deal with regularly
would also benefit from formal sales training. Base: All Qualified
Sales Buyers (n=300) Q1125 Do you feel that the Sales Reps you deal
with regularly would benefit from formal sales training? SALES
BUYERS Would the Sales Reps You Buy From Benefit From Formal Sales
Training
Slide 70
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 70 Approximately
one-quarter of the calls Sales Buyers receive from Sales Reps end
up in actual appointments with the Sales Reps. Base: All Qualified
Sales Buyers (n=300) Q1150 Thinking about how many calls you
receive from Sales Reps, on average, what percentage result in
setting up an appointment with you? Average Percentage Of Calls
That Result In Appointments: 26% SALES BUYERS Percentage Of Calls
That Result In Appointments
Slide 71
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 71 Email tops the
list of preferred ways to be contacted by sales rep, cited by
two-thirds of Sales Buyers. Phone and in-person meetings follow.
Base: All Qualified Sales Buyers (n=300) Q1160 How do you prefer to
be contacted by your Sales Reps? SALES BUYERS Preferred Means of
Communication By Sales Reps
Slide 72
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 72 When Sales
Buyers were asked if they prefer a sales rep that had formal sales
training over one that did not, most preferred a sales rep with the
formal training. Base: All Qualified Sales Buyers (n=300) Q1175 All
other characteristics being equal, would you prefer a sales rep
that had formal sales training over one that did not? SALES BUYERS
Prefer A Sales Rep That Had Formal Sales Training Over One That Did
Not
Slide 73
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 73 Among Sales
Buyers, a sales rep with expertise in their industry is more likely
to be preferred than a sales rep with general expertise in sales.
Base: All Qualified Sales Buyers (n=300) Q1180 If you had to
choose, would you prefer a sales rep to be an expert in sales or an
expert in their industry? SALES BUYERS Prefer A Sales Rep To Be An
Expert In Sales Or An Expert In Their Industry
Slide 74
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive Industry-specific
knowledge is the skill that six in ten Sales Buyers feel their
Sales Reps lack. 74 Base: All Qualified Sales Buyers (n=300) Q1185
Of the Sales Reps you deal with regularly, what type of skills, if
any, do you feel they lack? SALES BUYERS Skills Sales Reps
Regularly Lack
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 76 Sales RepsSales
Leaders Sales Buyers Gender Male 68%67%63% Female 32%33%37% Sales
RepsSales Leaders Sales Buyers Age 18-245%6%5% 25-3418%26%16% 35-44
32%19%26% 45-54 19%23%22% 55 and older 26%25%31% Mean44.343.445.5
Sales RepsSales Leaders Sales Buyers Region East 20%24%28% Midwest
27%22% South 23%30% West 30%25%20% Demographics /
Firmographics
Slide 77
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 77 Sales RepsSales
Leaders Sales Buyers Job Level Senior management (CEO, CFO, etc)
13%21%30% Vice president 7%9% Director/manager/supervisor/ team
leader 26%62%48% Professional/technical staff member 47%5%10% Entry
level/administrative/clerical 8%2% Sales RepsSales Leaders Sales
Buyers Years at current position Less than one year 8%6%5% 1-2
years 14% 12% 3-5 years 27%29%17% More than 5 51% 66% Demographics
/ Firmographics
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 80 Sales RepsSales
Leaders Sales Buyers Annual Company Revenue Less than $5 million
11%12%32% $5 million - $9.99 million 8%12%14% $10 million - $14.99
million 7%9%10% $15 million - $24.99 million 6%10%7% $25 million -
$49.99 million 6%12%9% $50 million - $74.99 million 7%8%3% $75
million - $99.99 million 8%3% $100 million - $499.99 million
15%11%7% $500 million or more 18%17%6% Not Sure 14%5%10%
Demographics / Firmographics
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 82 Sales RepsSales
Leaders Sales Buyers Industry (contd) Arts, Entertainment &
Recreation 1% 2% Government 1% 2% Leisure & Hospitality 1%
Communications 1% Real Estate 1%0%2% Utilities 0%2%1%
Administrative Support Services 0%2%1% Travel 0%2%0% Research
Services 0%1% Oil 0%1% Religious/Non-Profit Organizations 0% 2%
Military 0% 1% Mining -1% Public Administration/Government -1%0%
Gas -0%1% Waste Management/Remediation Services --0% Other Services
6%5% Other 10%5%8% Demographics / Firmographics
Slide 83
2013 CareerBuilder & Harris Interactive 83 Sales RepsSales
Leaders Sales Buyers Plan To Leave Current Job/Employer Yes
48%40%29% Yes, within the next month 11%7%2% Yes, within the next
six months 14%6%3% Yes, within the next year 8%5%3% Yes, more than
a year from now 15%22%21% No 52%60%71% Demographics /
Firmographics