Most leaders agree on one thing: referrals are among the highest-quality sources of new business. They convert faster. They cost less. They arrive with trust already in place. And yet, in many organisations, referrals are inconsistent, informal or left entirely to chance. This is not a market problem. It is not a brand problem. And it is rarely a performance problem. It is a behavioural one.
Despite knowing the cost of a bad hire, most companies still hire salespeople without pre-assessment.
At the start of every year, I hear the same sentence: “We need to hire another salesperson”. It is usually said with urgency. Sometimes with frustration. Almost always with good intentions.
Over the past few months, we have explored some of the 16 Sales Call Reluctance® behaviours identified by researchers George W. Dudley and Shannon L. Goodson – from the Hyper-Pro to the Yielder to Oppositional Reflex.
Alex, the CEO of a growing company, slammed his laptop shut, running a hand over his face. The quarterly numbers were in, and the pipeline had not moved. Again.
There are 16 distinct types of Sales Call Reluctance® – subtle behavioural patterns that quietly undermine performance, confidence and revenue.
Picture this: a new salesperson joins your team. They come from a big iGaming company. They know the industry. They have got a solid network and plenty of “contacts”. On paper, they look like the fast win you have been waiting for. And at first, it works. A few quick deals. A handful of friendly introductions. Management feels justified: “See? We hired the right person”.
Have you ever invested weeks in onboarding a new hire – only to watch them resist every process, argue in meetings and demoralise your team? Before long, deals slip, energy drains and motivation collapses. Some hiring mistakes creep in quietly. You only notice months later, when results stall.
Picture this: you stayed late again, solved a problem no one else could and delivered results beyond expectations.
At the next meeting? Recognition goes to someone else – someone less skilled, less experienced….but louder.
You feel it: frustration, disappointment, maybe even self-doubt. Here is the truth: talent alone is not enough.
Sarah looks like the dream salesperson: packed calendar, buzzing inbox, always “on the move”. But here is the truth her manager does not see: Sarah has not spoken to a single new prospect all morning.
Busy does not equal productive. In fact, some of your most “active” salespeople could be quietly cutting team productivity in half – without you realising it.