This truth is one that we cannot utter to our customers, but it is critical in assisting a company to upgrade their sales team. Implicit in this statement is the fact that some companies, when it comes to sales, do not provide an “A” level opportunity. The reasons companies do not fit the A level often revolves around a handful of lesser items and one big item. First the lesser items: Compensation.A players expect A-level compensation. Many hiring companies believe they can offer A-level compensation through their commission structure. While this may be possible, it is often unattainable. A commission plan in which the salesperson must triple the company’s revenue… Read More
Continue ReadingOur Most Desired Question
One question we would love to hear more often from our customers is this, “What factors make this candidate a strong fit for our sales position?” This is the best question to ask when first viewing a candidate’s information. Unfortunately, we hear many customers resort to their old method for measuring a candidate – what does their resume contain? I often wonder if hiring would improve if resumes were removed from the process. I know it will never happen, but it would force hiring managers to take a more comprehensive approach to their decision-making. The focus would move from prejudging viability based solely on a sheet of paper to interviewing… Read More
Continue ReadingGood Interviews From Bad Salespeople
How about this thought – many bad salespeople are good interviews because they have much practice. We have seen many salespeople do well on the phone but once we dig into their history, we find a consistent pattern of 2 year stints. But man do they say the right things on the phone. For this reason, we tend to run a difficult phone screen to weed out the pretenders. In fact, just this week we received a resume from a candidate with whom we are familiar. He worked for one of our customers 3 years ago and displayed flamboyant incompetence. As they say in the Wall Street Journal, it wasn’t… Read More
Continue ReadingMy Shortest Phone Screen Ever
I am sourcing for a mid-level account executive for a complex, custom manufactured product for businesses. I had one candidate contact me via voicemail who stated that he has decades of experience in this market. Ok. So I called him back late in the afternoon to go through a phone screen. First off, he didn’t remember me. After I explained who I was, he remembered the company. Next, I told him, “I was hoping to take a few minutes of your…” He interrupted me at that point to say he only had 5 minutes to talk since he had to get to Dominos to deliver pizzas.
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Sensitivity To Others
Today we wrap up our year-long Sales Traits Series with the final installment. This week’s trait is one that provides us insight into a candidate’s soft skills when relating to a prospect or customer. Sensitivity To Others The ability to be sensitive and aware of the feelings of others, but not to allow this awareness to interfere with objective decision making. A salesperson with strength in this trait will respond to the concerns of others even if they do not relate to the situation at hand. A weakness in this area is indicative of an inability to identify and relate with others on a personal level. Such a person has… Read More
Continue ReadingStuck In The Middle With You
When recruiting sales talent, we often get caught in the middle on one important topic. Timing. Sourcing a strong candidate who is looking to move at the right moment is a complex undertaking. Few salespeople will cash in their current job for blue-sky possibilities which is how most opportunities appear at the outset. As we approach Thanksgiving here in the States, the timing window shrinks. With Q4 one third of the way complete, most salespeople have a good idea of how their quarter is going to finish up in terms of revenue and, more importantly, commission. On top of that, they probably have family time, holiday travel and time off… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Role Confidence
This week we look at a trait that ebbs and flows with salespeople. Typically, candidates have a lower level of role confidence (a driver in their reasoning for finding a new job). Established salespeople who are having success tend to have higher role confidence. The lack of this trait usually reveals an indecisive, uncertain salesperson. This weakness unfortunately is most often revealed in front of a prospect. Role Confidence The ability to develop and maintain an inner strength based on the belief that one will succeed. Role Confidence is a combination of a salesperson’s ability to see their role clearly, positively, practically and functionally. They see themselves as valuable in… Read More
Continue ReadingReading The Resume
If you have read The Hire Sense for any period of time, you know we have some strong feelings about using resumes to filter sales candidates. This approach is ripe with problems. However, we know it occurs and until we change the world on this topic, we’ll have to make the best of it. In that light, here are the items we look for when reading through resumes: Performance. Has the person succeeded by what you can see in their work history? Is this success supported by specific numbers? Progression. Has their sales career shown overall growth through their different positions? Have they been with only 1 company or have… Read More
Continue ReadingCounterpunching The Recruiting Firm
Great quote that is. Selling Power provided it in their article Re-Recruiting and Retention. The gist of the article deals with keeping your top performers when they have been recruited from your company. The article lists some suggested goals you can gather by conducting exit interviews: – Eliminate the barriers to retention that were mentioned in surveys of ex-employees.– Identify essential, “can’t operate without” employees and thank each one of them (often).– Upgrade personal performance contracts, paying special attention to the problem areas identified.– Provide extra compensation and rewards. (Pacetta suggests establishing a recruiting and retaining fund for this purpose.)– Ask each of your essential employees to come to you… Read More
Continue ReadingCompanies Offering "Voluntary" Benefits
We just lost a strong candidate at one of our customers this week because the company’s offer did not contain a well-defined benefits package. That always hurts. Now this morning I read the CareerJournal.com article titled Firms Increasingly Offer ‘Voluntary’ Benefits. I haven’t heard of this trend, but it is most intriguing. A growing number of businesses, large and small, are offering employees so-called voluntary benefits ranging from pet insurance to homeowners insurance to help with house closings and estate planning. The signature character of these voluntary benefits is that employees pay for them, but at a discounted rate obtained by the employer. Medical insurance will always be the top… Read More
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