Sales candidates have a propensity for…expanding the truth. That fact could be stated differently, but let’s stick with this wording. Elon Musk has accepted this fact, according to this Entrepreneur article<\/a>. His approach:<\/p>\n

\n
…the mogul asks his aspirants to tell him one of the most difficult problems they have had to solve or face in their life and how they managed to overcome it.<\/p>\n
According to the employer, the people who solved the problem know exactly how they did it and can describe the little details. However, those who lie will not be able to tell their story convincingly.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
This approach is effective and revealing. We use a similar approach in our interviewing activities as we know the details are the key. A true story has vivid details and specifics (in sales, dollars are key). One noticeable approach from sales candidates is the tendency to speak in the theoretical. You will notice the candidate uses few, if any, details. Instead they speak in generalities, possibilities, and in a passive voice.<\/p>\n
When you encounter a candidate in this mode, the best move is to drill down on their responses. Ask for details, challenge their vagueness and pursue a longer conversation. This approach will help you get to the truth following Elon Musk’s initial question. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sales candidates have a propensity for…expanding the truth. That fact could be stated differently, but let’s stick with this wording. Elon Musk has accepted this fact, according to this Entrepreneur article. His approach: …the mogul asks his aspirants to tell him one of the most difficult problems they have had to solve or face in their life and how they managed to overcome it. According to the employer, the people who solved the problem know exactly how they did it and can describe the little details. However, those who lie will not be able to tell their story convincingly. This approach is effective and revealing. We use a similar approach… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":61683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bgseo_title":"","bgseo_description":"","bgseo_robots_index":"index","bgseo_robots_follow":"follow","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[16,10],"tags":[257,260,47],"class_list":["post-61681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hiring-salespeople","category-interview","tag-hiring-sales","tag-interview-question","tag-sales-candidates"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5Oho-g2R","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2002,"url":"http:\/\/selectmetrix.com\/blogs\/2009\/04\/sales-interviews-are-uncomfortable\/","url_meta":{"origin":61681,"position":0},"title":"Sales Interviews Are Uncomfortable","author":"Derrick Moe","date":"April 15, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"I about fell out of my chair reading this SellingPower.com article \u2013 Interviews Get Comfortable.\u00a0 A quick excerpt to set the tone: \"It's your job as an interviewer to make the candidate feel comfortable and it starts from the moment you see that person,\" says Barbara Pachter, a speaker, trainer,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hiring"","block_context":{"text":"Hiring","link":"http:\/\/selectmetrix.com\/blogs\/category\/hiring\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2289,"url":"http:\/\/selectmetrix.com\/blogs\/2010\/03\/hiring-like-a-detective\/","url_meta":{"origin":61681,"position":1},"title":"Hiring Like A Detective","author":"Derrick Moe","date":"March 9, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Yes, the title is a bit quirky, but it is true.\u00a0 A significant portion of successful hiring involves being a good detective.\u00a0 I have always taken that approach when helping our customers find the right salesperson for their position.\u00a0 To be a good detective, you need to be a bit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Assessing"","block_context":{"text":"Assessing","link":"http:\/\/selectmetrix.com\/blogs\/category\/hiring\/assessing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":440,"url":"http:\/\/selectmetrix.com\/blogs\/2006\/11\/candidate-questions\/","url_meta":{"origin":61681,"position":2},"title":"Candidate Questions","author":"Derrick Moe","date":"November 14, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"We always say that interviewing is a two-way street. 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This complementary article is excellent advice for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hiring"","block_context":{"text":"Hiring","link":"http:\/\/selectmetrix.com\/blogs\/category\/hiring\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":911,"url":"http:\/\/selectmetrix.com\/blogs\/2007\/05\/the-can-vs-cant-approach\/","url_meta":{"origin":61681,"position":4},"title":"The Can vs. Can’t Approach","author":"Derrick Moe","date":"May 11, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"One client of ours told me a sales hiring story that led them to us. The sales manager followed the conventional hiring process - post an ad, sort the resumes, interview the candidates from the \"yes\" resume pile. He chose a salesperson with a glowing resume who absolutely won him\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Assessing"","block_context":{"text":"Assessing","link":"http:\/\/selectmetrix.com\/blogs\/category\/hiring\/assessing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/selectmetrix.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/windowslivewriterthecanvs.cantapproach-63b4j04001816.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":330,"url":"http:\/\/selectmetrix.com\/blogs\/2006\/09\/an-open-letter-to-sales-managers\/","url_meta":{"origin":61681,"position":5},"title":"An Open Letter to Sales Managers","author":"Derrick Moe","date":"September 27, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Time and time again we see a similar process play out to the detriment of a company. XYZ Company determines that they need to hire a new salesperson and the sales manager is going to spearhead the search. A problematic approach. 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