Many thanks to Eric for his compelling comment to this post from a couple days ago. I thought this was too good to leave in the comments.
It may come as a surprise to know that there are ways to assess the potential value of ‘professional actors’ when they show up in your selection process net. Two of my early careers were production stage manager and theatrical stage director – and key to the success of our productions were selecting the best actors for the roles and the show. If you can imagine – many actors are a lot better at auditioning than actually performing.
Anyone familiar with the process of casting a show understands that “The Audition” is the primary event used to evaluate and then to select the best possible cast, just as the interview is used by many as the key to selecting new salespeople. And, as the article suggests, companies can be fooled by great performances. Auditioning well (and being the appropriate ‘type’ for the role) does carry a lot of weight, and often lands the role. After casting actors who auditioned well and performed poorly, I learned to look at other factors to help me predict future performance – previous stage experience, favorable critic’s reviews and even conversations with directors who had worked with that person before all helped. Sometimes I would deliberately cast a less experienced actor who may not have played the role before, but who had a great work ethic (what good a great actor who can’t make it to the theatre in time for their entrance?), demonstrated a hunger for success (fire in the belly), and seemed eager to be a part of the cast (team).
Just as in the selection process for new salespeople, I would first seek out basic skills and experience as the qualifier, then look at the intangibles to evaluate the degree of overall “fit.”
Often the factors that influenced casting decisions were gathered through informal assessments – did the actor socialize in the time leading up to their 2 minute audition? Did they look you in the eye when introducing themselves? Were they dressed appropriately for the role? Had they done their research and were they prepared (reminds me of the sales candidate whose first question during our face-to-face was: “What position am I interviewing for again?”).
So for those faced with the “professional actor” sales candidates, take some coaching from that profession and assess the candidate in other ways as well – references, prior success, non-interview setting meetings (like meals or social events), skill and personality assessment tools, and observation of all the intangibles about character, work habits and social skills.
By the way, I have seen some incredible sales results from folks who once trod the boards, so don’t discount a stage or film pro when they come knocking. But be careful. In sales the phrase is: “Talks a good game…” In theatre the sentiment is the same even though the comment is “Auditions well, but…”
The unsaid often says it all.