The "80/20 Rule" says that 80% of all products and services are sold by just 20 percent of the salespeople. This presents a challenge to sales executives who direct teams of salespeople. An analysis of several sales organizations reached the conclusion that about half of the people in the study lacked the behavioral characteristics required to effectively perform the duties that sales jobs call for. They should never have been hired for sales positions in the first place. The study found that of the remaining 50%, half had the potential for success in sales, but were not hired to sell the right kind of product or service. The study concluded that only about 25% of those working in sales position have a good match with the work they are doing. Thus, the "80/20 Rule" is only "valid" because people lacking sales essentials get hired and others are not matched with the right products or services.

The Profiles Sales Indicator™ provides a means of selecting people who have the five qualities that make salespeople successful: Competitiveness, Self-reliance, Persistence, Energy, and Sales Drive. It also predicts on-the-job performance in seven critical sales behaviors: Prospecting, Closing Sales, Call Reluctance, Self-starting, Teamwork, Building and Maintaining Relationships, and Compensation Preference.

The Profiles Sales Indicator can be customized by company, sales position, department, manager, geography, or any combination of these factors. Empirical data can be used to develop a pattern that will tell you how well a job candidate matches your successful salespeople.

The Profiles Sales Indicator is easy to use. It can be taken in just 15-20 minutes and produces clear, readable reports that are direct and to the point. These reports can be used for selecting, managing, and training salespeople more effectively. This tool provides objective data for developing a more effective sales team, one person at a time.