I read this post on Bnet and got a chuckle out of a couple of the points and thought I would share this article by Geoffrey James with you. I especially laughed when I read don’t flirt with the admin…who does that?! Anyway, here are the 8 things not to do: Flirt with the admin. It may seem tempting, but unless you’ve got soap-opera-quality looks, chances are you’re only going to annoy (or even alarm) the admin, who will tell the boss. Fix: Stay polite, friendly and respectful. Talk more than you listen. Initial sales calls are all about relationship building and gathering information, which you can’t do if your… Read More
Continue ReadingFinding Fibs On A Resume
In reviewing the HRGURU newsletter I ran across a good article on finding fibs in resumes. It gives some sound advice to follow so you are not discovering these lies on the resume after a person starts. The 5 tips: Get an early read about the candidate’s visible profile. Look for a candidate’s public profile by reviewing announcements, articles and other material that often can be found easily online. You do need to gauge how much stock you’ll put into whatever you find—good or bad—because you can’t always believe what you read. Confirm academic credentials early. Gain consensus on the reference checking process. Who is going to perform it and… Read More
Continue ReadingTips 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… Read More
Continue Reading14 “Top” Interview Questions
CareerBuilder.com has put out another link-bait article titled Top Interview Questions. I wonder if they send this version out to their employer customers and a modified version out to the jobseekers in a separate email? Anyway, here is the list: What circumstance brings you here today? This is one of the best opening questions ever. This open ended question surprises many candidates. If they do not respond quickly, just sit quietly and wait for the response. Some candidates reveal problems with their current employer, potential insubordination, and both positive or negative character traits. How would your best friend describe you? What would you say are your 2 greatest weaknesses? How… Read More
Continue ReadingAssessments Shorten Interviews
I’ve read many sales technique articles recently that discuss how to approach a prospect. Salespeople are expected to have a cursory knowledge of the company itself, it’s market and, to some extent, whether or not they have a solution that may be a fit for this prospective customer. Gone are the days of cold calling a prospect and asking what it is their company does. I think everyone can agree with that paragraph. So why do companies still expect hiring managers to go through the added discovery of sorting out communication styles, motivations and skill sets? Granted, most managers want to verify these items, but assessments provide a starting point… Read More
Continue ReadingCandidates That Do Not Wow
We’ve been on this topic a bit lately, but it is mission-critical to successful selling. Asking questions…asking the right questions is tantamount to qualifying prospects. Most sales managers know this, yet we often see them displaying selective amnesia when it comes to interviewing sales candidates. Case in point: Lee often observes sales managers who are underwhelmed with a candidate because the candidate didn’t “wow” them. That’s understandable, but many times the manager isn’t wowed because the candidate is qualifying the opportunity instead of spewing feature/benefits. It is at this point that Lee has to mention the different questions that the candidate asked in their responses and the information that candidate… Read More
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