The best AEs I’ve worked with exhibit these traits:
- Coachable
- High IQ
- High EQ
- Internal Locus of Control
This edition of Sales Introverts Weekly shares the questions I ask to evaluate these traits, and how AEs can show strength in these areas.
Coachable
Question: “Tell me about a time you made a significant change based on feedback you received and the results you experienced.”
What I’m looking for:
- Evidence they’ve acted on feedback previously shared
- Evidence they cared enough about the feedback to be conscious of impact
Coachable individuals can readily recall feedback and how they adjusted.
IQ
Question: “What’s the most impactful lesson you’ve learned in recent personal development?”
What I’m looking for:
- Evidence that they actively engage in personal development
- An impactful lesson/improvement – not superficial
Intelligent people crave to learn and prioritize personal development.
EQ
Question: “Tell me about your strongest relationship at work – what makes it great? Tell me about your most challenging relationship at work – where did it go wrong?”
What I’m looking for:
- Evidence others want to build relationships with them
- Self-reflection of what they did wrong in the poor relationship
I want to work with people that will help work be enjoyable. Individuals that have evidence of building strong relationships and the self-awareness to recognize where a relationship faltered make great teammates.
Locus of control
Question: “Walk me through a recent failure. What went wrong?”
What I’m looking for:
- Accountability and ownership, not blaming the failure on others or “uncontrollables”
Individuals that take ownership contribute to winning cultures. Individuals that point fingers will destroy even the strongest teams.
That’s it for this week. Always grateful for feedback and recommendations for future newsletters – just reach out via email.
– Kyle
PS: If you’re looking to become one of the top AEs in your company, check out the green box below this post.
