Should Your Sales Team Be All Firstborns?

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Should Your Sales Team Be All Firstborns?

Not Necessarily, But Managing Like New Parents a Good Idea Says New York Times Bestseller

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) October 13, 2003 -- As a group, firstborn children are more successful than laterborns. According to one of the countrys most prominent behavioral psychologists, studying why could be a boon for businesses.

Twenty-one of the first twenty-three astronauts were firstborn. Forty-five percent of the female world leaders between 1960 and 1999 were firstborn. As are fifty-five percent of Supreme Court justices. Statistics like these reflect proof of the commonly held belief that firstborn children are more likely to succeed.

Thomas K. Connellan, PhD., has spent a career studying why. He says that the difference between firstborns and others can be explained in the way new parents raise them. He also says businesses can apply similar techniques to improve their sales forces.

According to Connellan, parents hold firstborns accountable. They have high expectations for them. And parents tend to give more feedback to firstborns. In his latest book, the New York Times Bestseller Bringing Out the Best in Others! 3 Keys for Business Leaders, Educators, Coaches, and Parents (Bard Press, Feb. 2003), Connellan says that managers who treat their salespeople like parents treat firstborns will increase sales.

In his research, Connellan studied the differences in high and low performing sales reps. He found that the supervisors of the high performers scored 22% higher on their ability to create the three factors than did the supervisors of the low performers. Connellans message to companies that want to boost sales? Believe in them, hold them accountable, and provide supportive feedback."

Connellan is former Program Director and Research Associate on the University of Michigan Business School faculty and an advisor to Dell, Marriott, the Air Force, FedEx, GE, Sony, and Neiman Marcus.

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