The Social Competence - Character Model is a prescriptive Sales Performance theory developed in 2006 by Cay Clemmensen and myself in a Sales Performance Coaching engagement we had in our company Rosen Team for a large Global Company.
Why? Let’s face it........your Sales is dependent upon your Sales Force and his or hers social competence and character!
The social competence and character that we believe that is necessary for sales responsible, could actually be visualized as a scale, where integrity is the strong and solid base, and respect and responsibility are balanced on either side. A sales responsible with integrity are honest, trustworthy and authentic. They are also respectful of others and have a strong sense of personal responsibility. Relationship and respect is developed by the component qualities of Empathy, Emotional Mastery, Lack of Blame and Humility. Responsibility is developed by the component qualities of Accountability, Courage, Self Confidence and Focus on the whole (as a sales responsible with the abilities).
The 10 Social Competences of the Character Model that a sales responsible should have:
1. Social Competence skill - Respect
2. Social Competence skill - Empathy
3. Lack of Blame
4. Emotional Intelligence skill - Humility
5. Emotional Intelligence skill - Emotional Mastery
6. Emotional Intelligence skill - Responsibility
7. Emotional Intelligence skill - Accountability
8. Emotional Intelligence skill - Self-Confidence
9. Emotional Intelligence skill - Courage
10. Social Competence skill - Focus on the whole
1. Social Competence skill - Respect
The sales responsible, that demonstrates Respect show’s unconditional high regard for others, acknowledging their value as human beings, regardless of their behavior (and isn't sales all about the value that the other person perceives to receive). The respect comes through in all situations, even during times of conflict or criticism. Demonstrating respect for others requires developing and refining the following core personal qualities (not faking it).
2. Social Competence skill - Empathy
Treating everyone in the organization with empathy helps leaders earn trust. Leaders who are empathetic create strong bonds and are seen as less political. The sales responsible who demonstrates the core quality of empathy:
• Can understand others’ points of view, including the views of those who are different
• Shows genuine concern for others
• Listens with understanding
• Is respectful even when he or she has nothing to gain from the relationship
3. Lack of Blame
The sales responsible who doesn’t blame others is not defensive. They are able to reflect honestly on their own behavior and are willing to admit mistakes. When things go wrong, they don't spend time assigning blame; they spend time fixing the problem. A sales responsible who demonstrates the core quality of lack of blame:
• Admits fault when appropriate – even to customers
• Does not look for a scapegoat in a crisis
• Spends time fixing problems, not assigning them
4. Emotional Intelligence skill - Humility
Humility is a lack of pomposity and arrogance. It is the recognition that all sales responsible are fallible, that we are all combinations of strengths and weaknesses. sales responsible who demonstrate humility, as someone has said, "don't think less of themselves; they just think more of others." Arrogance derails more leaders than any other factor. A sales responsible with the core quality of humility:
• Listens to others with an open mind
• Doesn't brag or name drop
• Clearly sees and admits their own limitations and failings
• Is not afraid to be vulnerable
5. Emotional Intelligence skill - Emotional Mastery
sales responsible who have developed emotional mastery recognize that, as Epictetus said 2000 years ago, "It's not the facts and events that upset man, but the view he takes of them." For those in positions of formal power, the most important aspect of emotional mastery may be controlling anger. Outbursts of anger have no spot in the workplace, and can quickly destroy a sense of organizational equity and partnership. A sales responsible with the core quality of emotional mastery:
• Says what he or she thinks, but never berates others
• Stays calm even in crisis situations
• Doesn't let anxiety interfere with public speaking or with other things that need to be done
• Reflects before reacting and is able to consciously choose an appropriate response
6. Emotional Intelligence skill - Responsibility
Responsibility is the acceptance of full responsibility for personal success and for the success of the sales, salesteam and proposalprocess.
7. Emotional Intelligence skill - Accountability
The sales responsible who is truly accountable expand their view of organizational responsibility. At all levels, accountable sales responsible do what they can to get done what needs to get done, no matter where in the organization they have to go. They NEVER say, "It's not my job." They also hold themselves accountable for making relationships work - they don't say, "Well, I'll go halfway if they will." They take 100% responsibility for making any relationship work. A sales responsible with the core quality of accountability:
• Takes the initiative to get things done
• Is not afraid to hold others accountable
• Is willing to cross departmental boundaries to help with a meaningful project
• Takes personal responsibility for organizational success
8. Emotional Intelligence skill - Self-Confidence
The sales responsible who is self-confident feels that they are the equal of others, even when those others are in positions of much greater formal power. The sales responsible who is self-confident also recognize the value of building the self-confidence of others and won't be threatened by doing so. Self-confidence in everyone builds a sense of partnership and helps the organization get maximum effort and ideas from everyone. A sales responsible with the core quality of self-confidence:
• Has a self assured bearing
• Is flexible and willing to change
• Easily gives others credit
• Isn't afraid to tell the truth
9. Emotional Intelligence skill - Courage
The sales responsible with courage is assertive and willing to take risks. They ask forgiveness rather than permission, and are willing to try even though they might fail. They are willing to risk conflict to have their ideas heard, balancing that with the respect that makes constructive conflict possible. A sales responsible with the core quality of courage:
• Champions new or unpopular ideas
• Talks to others, not about others, when there is a problem
• Accepts feedback and really hears what others say
• Takes the ball and runs with it, even when there are obstacles
10. Social Competence skill - Focus on the whole
The sales responsible that focuses on the whole think in terms of the good for the entire organization, not in terms of what's good for them, their team or their department. They can see interdependencies and can see beyond what is immediately observable. They have an understanding of and enthusiasm for the business and an understanding of their industry. For example, if working on a software project, they consider the implications of the whole project and commit to an outcome that works for the customer rather than focusing on just their piece of the project. A sales responsible who demonstrates the core quality of focusing on the whole:
• Realizes that they represent their company to customers
• Sees how the work in their area affects the entire project and the entire organization
• Gathers information from all stakeholders when making decisions
• Shares information throughout the company and understands the value of a knowledgeable workforce
I know that when we talk about the social competence and character necessary for sales responsible to influence the way they manage the sales process, that these are very psychological soft skills we are talking about and as you can read from my different article, do I strongly believe that sales excellence is made, not born. That's why I actually wanted to create this Blog and Forum and I'm dedicated to helping you personally grow beyond where you are today. Many sales responsible know that certain things they should do in a better way, but too often they don't know how - or do get started on the change process. We all work against some barriers that somehow keep us from doing what is best for us - and from realizing our true potential. If you need help in better understanding and exploit your potential in order to turn you into action mode and help you break through self imposed limitations that are holding you back from the power, balance, growth, and success that you strive for. Lets us talk about how I can help you explore how it is possible to build new levels of social competence and character - helping you to remove the mental and emotional obstacles that are limiting your personal and professional growth, power and sales performance.
If you are interested in a course that can strengthen this ability this could be an option: http://www.rosenteam.com/sales-performance/emotional-intelligence-in-sales-coaching-program/
If I can help in any other way, please feel free to contact me via email: mvr@rosenteam.com
Regards your moderator
Mark von Rosing
