I found this site – RecruiTV – from the ERE.net newsletter. The company that runs this site is called Wetjello (I have no idea why, but it is memorable). From their website: Wetjello provides powerful online video recruitment solutions including recruitment campaign video development, video production and integrated web video solutions. Were helping create a new online recruitment medium with powerful, edgy and impactful video campaigns for companies around the world. Their claim to fame is that they feature video resumes. I have been drawn in to watching a few of the sales resumes (is that the proper word for these). I have to admit, some parts of the videos… Read More
Continue ReadingResume Knock-Out Factors
CareerJournal.com reposted an older article regarding resume errors that land in the “no interest” pile. From These Resume Gaffes Do Immediate Damage: These knockout factors invariably mean sure death to a person’s candidacy. They typically include: 1. An objective that doesn’t match current openings. 2. Inappropriate or insufficient educational credentials. 3. Incompatible salary requirements. 4. Poorly organized, sloppy or hard-to-read content. 5. Geographic restrictions incompatible with current openings. 6. A long list of employers in a short period of time. 7. Too much information. 8. A lack of U.S. citizen or permanent-resident status. The list is comprehensive, but I have to add one more item – misspellings. We’ve posted on… Read More
Continue ReadingAccount Executive Requirements
From a sales ad for an Account Executive: Successful candidate must: Type 50+ wpm Be proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) Of course there were other bullets in the list, but these jumped out at me. If you are trying to find a strong salesperson and you are concerned about their typing ability, I am doubtful you are going to hire a strong salesperson. I could be wrong, but I’ll take the odds on this one. To make matters worse, this ad was placed by a recruiting agency for an internal hire!
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Understanding Attitude
This week we look at a subtle, but powerful, aptitude for successful selling. Salespeople with this trait are often described as being able to “read a situation” with amazing insight. Understanding Attitude The ability to read between the lines in understanding such things as body language, reticence, stress and emotions. Essentially, the capacity to grasp the intangible aspects of a complex situation. A salesperson with strength in this area will utilize more than simply words to gather information about another. A weakness in this area indicates a lack of ability to measure another’s attitude through indirect signs or signals.
Continue ReadingThe Phone Screening Essentials
I have read numerous article over the past few weeks about phone interviewing or screening sales candidates and every one of them miss the mark. Instead of going at what is wrong with each of these articles, I will give you some essentials that make this an effective step in our hiring process. These are the steps we incorporate into each recruitment process we run for our clients. These techniques have been developed through conducting thousands of sales interviews and phone screens over the past few years. What are the main requirements of the job? I am not talking about the job description. Instead, think about a wish list, so… Read More
Continue ReadingTime To Source Salespeople
There are certain windows for sourcing salespeople that are better than other times of the year. Right now we are in the best window for sourcing salespeople for the entire year. The reason is that many salespeople are on commission plans that pay out the highest total after the year is completed. In many instances, that commission payout occurs towards the end of January. I spent many years selling on these types of plans and can tell you that I would not leave in January since I was waiting for my largest commission check of the year. The different variations of commission plans I sold under usually had some accelerated… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Emotional Ad
I just read a sales ad this morning that opens: Wouldn’t you like to be in the Caribbean right now, relaxing by the ocean, with palm trees all around you? Well, next year you might be able to…if you work with us! I guess that is some form of an emotional word picture. I think it is lame – the reward speaks to not working (a Caribbean vacation). Believe me, I’m sitting here in the Twin Cities where we haven’t been above 0 degrees for 4 days. A tropical beach sounds inviting. Yet, if you are looking for a new salesperson, I believe the approach this ad takes will draw… Read More
Continue ReadingHow Interviewers Affect Candidate Decisions
Yesterday I attended a Webinar from Monster and DDI titled, “Thanks, But No Thanks: Keeping Top Prospects From Turning Down Your Offer” that not only echoed many of the points from this Selling Power article, but had the data to support it. There were numerous points that I wanted to share with you so I’ll post on them in bite-size pieces over the next few days. In our previous post, point #4 talks about trust. A candidate forms their opinion about trust in 3 areas with the interviewer being the first mentioned. I’m sure some of you thought that may have been a bit far-fetched but take a look at… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Self-Direction
This week we look at a trait that is growing in importance with the number of home-based sales position. We are working with multiple customers to find strong salespeople who are located in the territory and based out of their house. Truly this is a strong trend for the future. One trait that needs to be measured is this week’s offering. Self-Direction Balanced self-direction originates with an internal drive to excel in a chosen career path. It requires one to have a strong desire to be better than they currently are today. This trait includes having a clear vision of one’s future objectives and the self-discipline and organization necessary to… Read More
Continue ReadingYou Can Ask Me Anything – Just Email Me.
I am currently sourcing candidates for a customer with these requirements: technically savvy, results oriented, efficient sales skills with good phone & writing skills. My interaction with this candidate started via email, which is great because I could get an idea of his written communication skills. His first emails were to find out a little more about the company and a lot about the position responsibilities. We emailed back and forth several times in which he asked some great questions. After I had answered his questions, he sent an email stating that he was interested in the position and would like to take it to the next step. I emailed… Read More
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