Challenge
Finding, recruiting and retaining the best sales talent for specific business values and cultures.
Solution
Develop an integrated approach to recruitment and training for sales executives to quickly and accurately identify the ‘best-fit’ candidates.
Outcome
A faster onboarding time, positively effects sales confidence, improves sales pipeline and gives Dachser an overall competitive advantage.
Investing in outstanding sales talent and using a more integrated approach for recruiting, assessing and training sales candidates in SPIN Selling has helped Dachser to retain the high performance standards they have achieved over the last three years.
The assessment helps Dachser uncover possible motivational drivers and demotivators, knowledge and SPIN Selling skills gaps at the recruitment stage. This enables Dachser to quickly and effectively plug skill gaps during the SPIN sales training and coaching efforts at the on-boarding stage. Candidates feel invested in and highly motivated – they become more receptive to the training which speeds up the sales behavioural change and improves sales results.
“The logistics industry is very competitive. Finding, attracting and recruiting the right sales talents is therefore a major challenge.”
Per T. Jensen, General Manager, Dachser Denmark A/S in Kolding.
“An effective sales assessment session, where I got the opportunity to learn about my own sales performance and reflect upon how I can develop myself. Very exciting and challenging assessment!”
Marie-Louise Spohr Olesen, Sales Executive, Dachser Denmark A/S in Hvidovre.
The Huthwaite Sales Candidate assessment is built on over 45 years of rigorous behavioural research into what the very best sales people in the world do differently. The full process includes:
- Candidate interview using Huthwaite four causes matrix to assess attitude, motivation, safe learning environment, knowledge and skills
- candidate roleplay based on a real case scenario, scored using Huthwaite’s objective, measurable system in verbal behaviour analysis by a qualified assessor
- review roleplay with candidate creating a safe learning/coaching environment and a great opportunity to identify sales skill gaps where SPIN training can help.
Key outcomes
Dachser managers have experienced the following results:
- On-boarding time is reduced from 6 to 3 months so pipelines are built up earlier, resulting in overall improved sales figures
- having the right sales candidates in place improves sales teamwork overall, particularly team motivation and confidence levels
- able to benchmark knowledge and skill competence and pool together with the interview feedback and psychometric testing results which give a full 360 degree view of a sales candidate
- diagnosing performance issues to identify skill gaps so that the most appropriate training and coaching is provided to speed up sales behaviour change and improve sales results
- an independent and unbiased overview from a professional VBA (verbal behaviour analysis) consultant and sales coach provides an objective view with the added advantage of knowing the Dachser business and industry in depth.
“It’s fantastic to see how the assessment accurately reflects the real market experiences our candidates will encounter. We haven’t had any surprises after assessing the sales talent in this way and the new sales executives integrate into our organisation faster than ever before.”
Carl-Johan Westas, Branch Manager, Dachser Sweden AB in Gothenburg.
“Up until now, we typically experienced 6 months onboarding time before seeing any sales build up in pipeline and it would take up to 12 months for results in growth to be visable. Now, sales pipeline is building up in just 3 months and we see results in growth within 3-6 months.”
Peter Hut, General Manager, Dachser Denmark A/S in Hvidovre.
Dachser Nordic A/S and Huthwaite International
Dachser Nordic A/S has worked alongside Huthwaite for several years, embedding SPIN Selling skills and ‘The Dachser Way of Selling’ as the shared high-performance standards for sales and services in the Nordic region.
“In a very competitive and price focused market, investment in a core sales training methodology is key to our business growth. For Dachser Nordic, truly understanding value selling produces more effective sales cycles, committed and loyal customers and a more positive, focused and motivated sales team”.
René Sidor, Managing Director, Dachser Nordic A/S.
