25 yr Harvard Study: 4% of Salesman are selling 94% of everything!

[chris lindberg]

Just a little interesting fact we were talking about in school the other day, the numbers come from a 25 year study at Harvard...
This is in the United States I suppose

4% of all Salesman are selling 94% of all products & services!

http://www.ashertraining.com/pdf/Art...e_20070510.pdf

Are salespeople Born or Made?
It has a lot to do with charisma, I would say.

[Slava]

I didn't read the article .

But does Asher say that they can be made?

[TurnedTheCorner]

As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anybody want to see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.

[Bobblehead]

I'm not sure how much stock you want to put into something published by a training agency. How is the 4% measured? Volume, or dollar value of products?

While I'm sure the stat is authentic, the link offers a "Free assessment of your natural sales skills" and when you go to the website you see "Try it out, and learn first-hand how the CPQ will be an important investment in your sales team's future."

This is a marketing flier.


BTW, one of the worst jobs I ever had was also one I learned a heck of a lot doing. I tried selling vaccuums door to door one summer. Brutal. But they do teach you a bunch of sales techniques. So while I hated that type of sales, I can read a lot of the techniques used by salespeople.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

I'm not sure how much stock you want to put into something published by a training agency. How is the 4% measured?

The most important thing about statistics you can ever learn is that they with the right skill, they can be twisted to argue "almost" any point.

9/10 dentists recommend using Colgate Toothpaste...... As opposed to not brushing at all? or just brushing your teeth with sulfuric acid and lye?

Unless you know HOW the data was collected and analized, you can never truly understand what the results mean.

[chris lindberg]

Yes, most survey's should have about 2000 people in them, but this one was done over the last 25 years which would seem to make it more valid, so most would think anyway?

[troutman]

Coffee is for closers.

[Flash Walken]

You know what it takes to sell Real Estate? It takes brass balls to sell real estate!

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by chris lindberg

Just a little interesting fact we were talking about in school the other day, the numbers come from a 25 year study at Harvard...
This is in the United States I suppose

4% of all Salesman are selling 94% of all products & services!

http://www.ashertraining.com/pdf/Art...e_20070510.pdf

Are salespeople Born or Made?
It has a lot to do with charisma, I would say.

I think it might have something to do with a small minority of salespeople handling massive accounts.

Like the guy who won the bid (or whatever. I really don't know how McDonalds goes shopping)to supply McDonalds with deep fryers for example, compared to the guy selling Ginsue knives at the local trade fair.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I think it might have something to do with a small minority of salespeople handling massive accounts.

Like the guy who won the bid (or whatever. I really don't know how McDonalds goes shopping)to supply McDonalds with deep fryers for example, compared to the guy selling Ginsue knives at the local trade fair.

Yep, IE there might be someone out there selling all of PCAN's crude. That would be one person handling billions per year.

[metallicat]

Where did you learn your trade? You stupid ing !

Edit- The swear filter is a bad thing when trying to quote Glengarry.