Tips For Interviewing Sales Candidates
Too many times the process of hiring a sales person rarely takes priority in a sales manager’s duties - they have enough to do already. Unfortunately, the hiring tasks get pushed to the margins of their day. Any sales manager knows how important it is to hire strong sales people, but it all too often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Dave Stein has 11 spot-on quick tips that can help you set the right priorities and increase your success rate. His tips are:
- Make sure you know what you are looking for.
- Prepare your questions in advance.
- Remain objective during the interview.
- Trust but verify.
- Don’t lead the candidate.
- Push back.
- Take notes.
- Solicit peoples’ names.
- Deliver powerful messages.
- Practice.
- Give the candidate feedback.
I agree with Dave that it is extremely difficult for people to stay objective during the interview. He makes a great point in that you need to act like a doctor when they are taking your medical history or reading your EKG. Too many times a hiring manager will get emotionally attached to a candidate and lose the objectivity needed to make the best hiring decision. First impressions are important, but don’t allow that to cloud your judgment and write off what could be a strong candidate.
I have been in interviews where the hiring manager didn’t think that a candidate was outgoing enough, made the decision they were not a fit and just went through the motions to fill the remaining time. The candidate did well answering the manager’s questions and then the time for the candidate to ask questions arrived. They were prepared with questions to discover information about the company and sales department, the challenges it was facing, why the position was open and what the hiring manager was looking for in an ideal candidate. Yet the hiring manager had already made up his mind and determined that the candidate was not the right fit. He had disqualified them.
The ability to stay objective and to gather enough information is critical to making a strong hire. Be conscious of quick decisions and do not fall into the trap of prejudging a candidate.
Posted By Lee Fratzke | Hiring, Hiring Salespeople, Interview | | 
Comments(1)
Agree with the list from the hiring manager’s point of view, and would even recommend it as a preparation checklist for candidates heading into an interview.
Your comment about hiring managers who make snap decisions is key, though, and that means candidates should assume they have only a minute or two to make a strong impression and thoroughly prepare with research, practice and even prepared answers to expected questions.
I recall my early career as a theater director and stage manager – at auditions, we could usually tell which actors (candidates) were deserving of a callback (interview) based on how they walked into the room and got ready for their audition – even before they opened their mouths and started their prepared monologues.
I don’t offer that in support of snap decisions, but it happens. I do believe that hiring managers (and directors) need to stay as objective and open as possible during the selection process. A quick anecdote…
One of my first business hires as a marketing director was a disc jockey from Wyoming with no corporate experience – I remember initially thinking how ill-suited he was for the job, but I liked the discussion and warmed to him after 10 or 15 minutes. He was able to convince me he had the drive, transferable skills and work ethic we needed, despite the lack of industry or even corporate experience. He stayed with the company for more than 20 years and rose steadily through the ranks- one of the riskiest but most rewarding hires I ever made.