P. O. Box 6215 ~ Plymouth, MA 02362
phone, 508.746.7716 ~ fax, 508.747.4257
e-mail, jkerchgavoni@comcast.net
www.diversified-solutions.com

POP TIP III:

Understanding Achievement Potential (AP) & Independence Potential (IP)
Achievement Potential (AP)
  • The Achievement Potential (AP) score measures your candidate's motivations for being in sales.

  • Candidates' motivations include:

    • How performance-based they are;

    • What their closing styles are;

    • How people- and service-oriented they are; and

    • How intent they are on safety and security issues.

  • The AP score measures the intensity and durability of the effort we talked about with regard to the Enterprising Potential (EP) score.

< -25
Caution

 Safety and security; soft closer; potential call reluctance. Will need lots of structure.

1 to 10
Soft Persistent

 Performance-based; competitive; people-oriented.

-24 to -11
Caution

 People/service; soft closer. Needs to be committed to product and service for career to start well. Potential call reluctance.

11 to 25
Hard Closer

 Competitive, performance-oriented; some concern for people/service issues.

-10 to 0
Soft to Soft Persistent

 People/service. Will need a commitment to product, service, and to get off to a good start. People/service focused.

26+
Hard Closer

 Very competitive and performance-based. Will need a strong PO score to support hard closing style. Does a hard closer fit your agency? Can you manage this candidate?

Coaching Tips:


  • Always check the relationship between the AP and PO.

  • When your candidate's AP score is high, look for a high PO score to balance the hard closing style.

  • When your candidate's AP score is on the minus side and the difference between the AP and PO is 30 points or more, your candidate has potential call reluctance. This is the psychological part of call reluctance. (For example, if your candidate's AP score is -10 and his or her PO score is 20, there is a difference of 30 points.)

  • For survival, choose performance-based candidates with good closing skills.

Independence Potential (IP)
  • The Independence Potential (IP) score measures the amount of structure a candidate will need for coaching issues and identify your candidate's leadership style:

    • Independent;

    • Team Leader; and

    • Team Member.

< -25
Caution

 Dependency. Will need structure and constant supervision. Success will be achieved through the team.

1 to 10
Team-Oriented to
Independence

 Focused on team goals and own. Very coachable.

-24 to -11
Caution

 Dependency. Needs structure and supervision.

11 to 25
Moderately to
Highly Independent

 Can work within a team-oriented environment without too much supervision.

-10 to 0
Team-Oriented
Team Member

 Some structure required. Objective is to keep candidate focused on own goals/team goals.

26+
Highly Independent

 Will reject structure and hands-on management. Questions: can you manage this candidate? Does this candidate fit your environment?

Coaching Tip:


  • When the PO score is high, it means the candidate is people-oriented and can be supportive toward teammates.

Combination of Achievement Potential (AP) & Independence Potential (IP)
NOTE: This is the most important scoring combination when looking at candidates to see if they fit into your sales environment. You are looking at closing style and structure.

  • Your objective should be for both your candidate's Achievement Potential and Independence Potential scores to be zero or greater. This will provide you with a balance between leadership and closing style.

  • If both of these scores are on the minus side, you are working with a soft closer who needs a lot of structure. This may be a coaching nightmare for you — high maintenance and poor performance results are typical.

  • If your candidates do not have both positive AP and IP scores, try to select one with a plus on the AP and a minus on the IP, or a plus on the IP and a minus on the AP. What you are doing is balancing closing style and structure.

  • When both the AP and IP scores are on the minus side, you are dealing with "Cautions," retention issues, and potential call reluctance.

If you have questions on any of the information on this POP TIP,
please call us directly at (508) 746-6995, or e-mail us at jkerchgavoni@comcast.net.
 

Feel free to forward this POP Tip and give friends
& associates a chance to sign up.

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The Self Management Group, Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.