No doubt we live in a technology-based world driven by expedited activities, from instant text messages to YouTube videos on demand. Communication moves fast. One area I believe it hurts is applying for sales positions. I realize an ever-increasing amount of opportunities are found, shared and contacted through LinkedIn, but what of finding opportunities for which you do not have a direct connection. I think this activity is similar to cold calling/contacting. When I am sourcing for sales candidates, I receive many resumes forwarded to me through the job boards and LinkedIn. Resumes. It is rare that I receive a cover letter anymore. For me, receiving a resume is similar… Read More
Continue ReadingHiring What You Need To Know
Experience is a tricky component to successful sales hiring in that it is often overvalued. Don’t get me wrong, it is important, but you never want to overvalue it. The reason is that you can teach new salespeople about your product or service a lot easier than you can teach them how to sell. A sports analogy (I know, often overused) – it is far easier to teach a football wide receiver what routes to run in your offense than it is to teach them how to run a 4.3 40 yard dash. Some will simply never run a 4.3. This is why talent is far more valuable to successful… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Money Trap
-Discounting is a hot topic in sales especially in this prolonged, down economy. However, discounting is never the best choice regardless of the situation. Here is a good Eye on Sales article speaking to that point. Here is a good suggestion: The first question I ask anyone who thinks they need to lower their price to close a sale is if they know at least 3 needs the customer has and if they have been able to measure the real value of those needs with the customer. Exactly. The author is speaking to qualifying which is the core of all successful selling. This is why it is of the utmost… Read More
Continue ReadingHunters Will Negotiate
I have come across this fact with many of my customers and it always surprises me that they are taken aback by candidates who want to negotiate. One thing that business development salespeople do is negotiate. They live for the hunt which includes qualifying a deal and influencing the money structure to their benefit. Generally speaking, a good hunter knows he or she is good at what they do and they also know that companies are willing to pay for their skills. That being said (or written?), hiring managers should not be put off by sales candidates who want to discuss (i.e. negotiate) the salary of the position. Salary.com ran… Read More
Continue ReadingHiring Better
Well, I am back from an extended summer vacation. Ok, it wasn’t a vacation, we have been swamped which is a good thing. Our activities have all been tied around hiring which seems to be bubbling up slightly in highly-selected areas. One thing I have noticed percolating this summer is the use of assessments. This has been our business since 2004, but it is truly taking off now which seems counterintuitive to me. However, I heard an interesting Wall Street Journal interview this morning where the reporter stated that companies hiring today have to make the right hire. Each position is crucial as most companies are running with lower numbers… Read More
Continue ReadingA Not So Amazing Stat
Just read a resume that boldly stated, “Made over 500 cold calls in 1 year.” One year. In my younger days, I was in sales jobs that required at least 50 cold calls a day so cranking out 500 in a year is…underwhelming.
Continue ReadingSelling Experience
I have been swamped in sourcing activities recently and have decided to push some random thoughts up to the blog. Here they are: -Selling for modern-day monopolies (like utilities) is far different than selling in the highly competitive, cost conscious marketplace. Sales candidates with these backgrounds must be screened for their ability to qualify money. I have found that skill set lacking in these candidates. -Why are candidates turning into stalkers? I realize the job market is still incredibly tight, but I have come across many candidates who simply overdo it. Sense of timing is an aptitude we assess and I am convinced it is more important now then ever.… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Problem With Hunters
They hunt – plain and simple. You could say it is in their blood. This becomes an issue when you are attempting to hire a sales hunter as I have witnessed this past week. One of our customers zeroed in on a particular candidate who is a strong hunter, but my customer took their time in pursuing him. In that time, he uncovered another opportunity and received an offer. That offer was later placed on hold so he returned to my customer for an interview. They thought he would be a great fit, but the first company came back and made him another offer along with my customer. He went… Read More
Continue ReadingDoing Or Helping
This may sound like a fine delineation, but I thought it was rather profound. One of our customers mentioned that he had people who could “do” certain tasks in a hiring process. However, these people were not able to provide “help” in the hiring process. That may sound like he is splitting hairs, but I find that point to be extremely important. One of the struggles in assisting companies in their hiring process is that most companies, unless quite large, tend to hire on a need basis. This means they do not spend their entire time hiring. In fact, it often is pushed into the margins of their day. Other… Read More
Continue ReadingImpression Management
I am a psych major. As my mother likes to say, “I’ve never met a psychologist who didn’t need their own services.” Although I am not a psychologist, I get the gist of her commentary. In that vein, I was revisiting some of my antiquated text books in search of a professional explanation for why “bad” sales candidates can often smoke good interviewers. I give you self-presentation or impression management. The definition from Social Psychology-Understanding Human Interaction by Baron and Byrne: …they flatter others, pretend to agree with them about various issues, or feign great interest in what they are saying – all in an attempt to create a favorable… Read More
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