Test Your Rural Sales Team's Optimism

Optimism is a key factor in achieving success in rural sales because it’s important to know how rural salespeople interpret and respond to challenges. Their “explanatory style” includes dimensions like permanence (viewing setbacks as temporary), pervasiveness (seeing challenges as limited in scope), and personalization (not attributing failures to personal shortcomings) which is fundamental in shaping an optimistic mindset that bounces backs and wins more deals, rather than a pessimistic mindset that loses deals and is far less resilient to knock backs and rejections.

The quiz has six sections: Permanent Bad, Personalization Good, Permanent Good, Pervasiveness Bad, Pervassiveness Good and Personalization Bad — each designed to explore how your team explains success and setbacks (what is called ‘Explanatory Styles’).

Instructions:
Answer the following hypothetical questions as honestly as you can. Don’t overthink — go with your first instinct.

(Source: Dr Martin Seligman Learned Helplessness Study – the world’s longest longitudinal study on insurance sales agents)