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People are surprised to see Pioneers in a selling
role. The Pioneer’s analytical nature often results in a candid,
direct, matter-of-fact approach to communicating, generally not seen
as an asset in a sales environment. There are two factors that help
Pioneers get around this: |
First, of the four trait scales, the Sociability scale is one that we
tend to be able to flex most, more so than our Dominance or Independence
scales, for example. Most successful Pioneer salespeople (who are low in
Sociability on the Real side) will act more sociably and enthusiastically
when they are with customers.
Second, their strong goal orientation —
combined with their objective viewpoint —
makes them very good at handling rejection. They can take 156 "no thank
you’s" in a day without taking it personally. And they don’t mind asking
for the order. They have an affinity for selling in tough environments and
they don’t "cave in" to customer demands.
What turns them on about selling?
They are similar to the Generalists in that they like to win and they
need to attain their goals — but they are
less concerned with prestige or developing a relationship with the
customer. They see the sale as a "target" that they have to "knock-off",
before they can move to the next opportunity.
At their best...
They are determined to exceed their targets (revenues and incomes of
course) and they’ll do whatever they can to be Number One on the sales
force. Additionally, they are concerned about selling profitable business
— a Pioneer is less likely to give away
the farm for a pie-in-the-sky future relationship. They are very focussed
and unlikely to spend time on anything that doesn’t help them achieve
their goals. They are direct in their communications, can build a good
business case and customers feel they are getting the straight facts.
At their worst...
Because they can be blinded by the need to achieve their targets, they
may be seen as pushy by prospects, more concerned with their own needs
than the customer’s problem. This is the profile that is most likely to
say, "Listen, you’ve got all the facts —
let’s make a decision now!"
There was a long-distance salesperson who used to brag that his success
was due to his philosophy that if he really could save the prospect money,
they would either have to sign-up or throw him out of their office.
Although his tongue was a little in his cheek when saying this, he did
have a higher proportion of customers cancel before their installation
date.
Finally, the Pioneer’s "telling" versus "selling" style might result in
their missing some of the more subtle buying signals from the customer
during presentations.
Around the office...
Their high sense of urgency and independent nature may result in
problems with their managers and support people and, on top of that, they
are often unlikely to use diplomacy or empathy when dealing with conflict.
On the plus side, though, you really do know where you stand with the
Pioneer. And they have a very realistic approach to sales forecasting,
always aware of where they sit with respect to their targets, even if they
do neglect filling out sales reports.
Summary
Pioneers are best suited for direct, new business development. They are
good at prospecting and will create a sense of urgency in the customer’s
mind to close a sale. As the saying goes, selling is 10 percent
inspiration and 90 percent perspiration. Pioneers are especially valuable
in start-ups or developing territories —
any place where grabbing market share quickly is key to survival.
Advice to the Pioneer
On presentations to customers, ask lots of questions
— try to focus more on their needs and
less on your product. Around the office, try to let those who provide you
with support know what a great job they are doing from time to time.
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