How to Read Your Prospect Like a Book! by John Boe is a quick read article from Sales Vault with some great tips on understanding the nonverbal cues a prospect/client is sending you. He states: …that one of the easiest and most effective ways to close sales is to be aware of the prospect’s “buy signals.” The article gives clues to look for in reading body language, mainly head and facial gestures. For an example: Head Gestures Tilted back = Superior attitude Tilted down = Negative and judgmental attitude Tilted to one side = Interest For those of you that know this information already, it is a nice 5 minute… Read More
Continue ReadingAnecdote – Fast Talkin’
Here’s one for the long holiday weekend. We were interviewing an internal candidate for a sales manager position and were sitting across from a pegged out High I. He spoke at a frenetic pace and at great length. To top it off, he rarely offered a cogent thought. So you can imagine there were many moments of silence as we sat there stunned at his performance. During one of those moments, out of the blue the candidate states, “I may talk fast, but it’s slow in my head.” He didn’t get the position.
Continue ReadingAnecdote – The Bewildering Email
Here is a recent one for your reading pleasure. Over the past couple weeks I have been sourcing for a territory sales position and had the following email exchange with an applicant. Apparently he felt unencumbered by the specific instructions provided in the online employment ad. Simple instructions – all applicants were asked to either email their resume or to call. From the applicant: is new business coming from advertising agencies also clients who use your services in the new york city marketplace important to you? (Unsigned, no number provided.) My response: I apologize, I am unclear as to your inquiry. If you are interested in learning more about the… Read More
Continue ReadingInterview Tips – Part 4
As an employer, how much prep time do you put in before interviewing a candidate? Candidates have thousands of resources available to them through articles, books, coaches and websites (as we have pointed out in numerous posts). Monster.com offers multiple resources to the job searcher, from industry specific advice for job searches/career pathing to basic tips on resume writing to answer strategies for interview questions . In monster’s Self-Assessment Center they have a Random Interview Question Generator that not only generates questions but provides specific advice on how to respond to the questions. The site also provides advice on how to handle illegal questions like, “Do you have children, and… Read More
Continue ReadingUnderstanding & Using Communication Style
Here is a different link for a post – a good audio segment on SalesRepRadio. The featured segment this week is a broadcast (is that the right word?) named Outcome Focused Selling. The speaker, Anne Warfield, discusses a different approach to selling. Instead of being focused on solving problems, salespeople need to be focused on finding solutions. When I first heard this phrasing I wondered what is the difference? Warfield went on to say that trying to “solve problems” unintentionally focuses the salesperson on features and benefits selling. I’ve seen this type of selling first-hand and it mostly leads to a data dump of marketing information on an disinterested prospect.… Read More
Continue ReadingAnecdote – The Debut
Our sourcing, screening and interviewing activities for our customers leads us into some comical discussions. Sales candidates are entertaining, coy and often cocky. Some times their responses are downright baffling. This news is not groundbreaking to anyone who has hired salespeople in the past. We’ve added a category for “Anecdotes” that will encompass some of the funnier moments from our experiences. Hopefully these posts will add a little levity to The Hire Sense. My question: Why are you looking for a new position at this time? Candidate’s response: My driver’s license is suspended at this time which was required of my previous position. Do I need to drive for this… Read More
Continue ReadingExperience – Fact or Fiction?
In this article from the Minneapolis StarTribune.com, the author discusses the growing demand for salespeople in the medical industry. One quote in particular jumps out: Medical salespeople often tell me it is rewarding to sell things that help people. I bring this topic up because it is of interest in that we have measured this reward in the medical and health insurance industries. There is a statistical significance among these salespeople to be rewarded by a higher Sense of Mission (purpose). The article continues: Medical salespeople are experienced, persistent and smart, do their homework and have an understanding of the audience they are selling to. I would agree with all… Read More
Continue ReadingTelecommuting Part 2 – Businesses Slow to Act
From a recent SHRM survey and article titled “Businesses slow to help employees at the gas pump” (membership required): of 380 companies surveyed from April 25th to May 1st of this year, few companies are actively moving to assist their employees with rising gas prices. In fact, 86% indicated that they were doing nothing. Here is a break down of the top initiatives for those companies reaching out: 20% are increasing the mileage limit 8% are offering public transportation discounts, up from 7% in 2005 8.4% organize carpools, up from 5.3% in 2005 7.1% offer telecommuting, up from 4.4% in 2005 As you can see, only a small percentage of… Read More
Continue Reading“Fat and Skinny Words”
Part of a salesperson’s role is building rapport with a prospect – it is a vital skill. A salesperson needs to match a prospect’s communication style since people naturally tend to relate to those they perceive to be similar to themselves. This older article from eyesonsales.com from Patricia Fripp, entitled Fat and Skinny Words: Levels of Abstraction throws an important concept into the rapport-building mix. Not only do salespeople need to adjust their communication style to match the prospect, but also their level of abstraction to match the organization level with whom they are communicating. The author explains her point by using the simple analogy of an automobile. If a… Read More
Continue ReadingBeating the Phone Screen
This Career Center article provides candidates with insightful tips in how to do well on a phone interview (an important step in our process). This in itself, isn’t terrible but shows why employers need to be prepared for coached candidates. Before completing any phone interviews, interviewers need to have a set list of questions and a method to measure which candidates will move on to the next step in the hiring process. This article is one of many resources available on the internet to candidates for which they can strengthen and hone their interview skills.
Continue Reading