Just a simple thought here – when will the fax machine go away?  I talk to prospects and collect their contact information for our CRM.  I had the thought, “Why do I ask for their fax number?”

Honestly, I cannot remember the last time I sent a fax to a prospect or customer.  I scan it in and email it…again, that way I have a record of it in our CRM software.

My outside number is 5 years until it goes down to the level of the typewriter.

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One of the reasons we are so adamant about assessing sales candidates is to know what motivates and rewards the person.  Once identified, these factors can be explored during a face-to-face interview.  There is one reward that requires an in-depth discussion with any sales candidate who possesses it – Status & Recognition.

This salesperson is rewarded by prestige, social acknowledgement and tangible trophies.  Let me be clear – this is a strong reward structure for a salesperson.  However, when it is over-amplified, it becomes a detriment.

I have a friend in sales who has this issue.  He is incredibly knowledgeable about his complex product line.  He speaks about it on an engineering level even though he is not an engineer.  Unfortunately, his sales have plummeted over the past 3 months.

The issue is this – he craves the prospect’s recognition of his knowledge more than closing the deal.  For him it is getting his personal needs met in the marketplace.  This approach is fatal in sales.

He recently told me a story of how one of his customers once told him he could be a consultant in this industry.  You should have seen how he lit up as he recalled that discussion.  Unfortunately, that customer unexpectedly dropped from the revenue report and this salesperson has not done the sales work necessary to foresee it.

If you have been in sales for any length of time, you realize that the salespeople who are successful do not go into the marketplace to get their emotional needs met.  They are playing a role – salesperson.  It’s not personal.  It’s not a reflection on them.  It is a job that requires certain behaviors to be successful.  They are going to face rejection every day so they better be able to emotionally detach from the role.  It is not a reflection on who they are as a person.  This is critical when hiring salespeople.

The conventional wisdom is that hiring industry experts is the best approach for salespeople.  It isn’t.  You probably have plenty of expertise in your company today.  If not, go hire engineers.  When hiring a salesperson, the better course of action is to hire one who can sell.  Sales ability is not synonymous with industry experience.  Assess your candidates, know what rewards them and pursue questions that reveal their sales ability.

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