From a sales ad I read this morning: For more information on this position or to apply please forward your resume and a list of references to… The ad is far too early for references and, quite frankly, I would be a bit surprised if any candidate provided references when simply responding to the ad. References are highly valued by candidates and no matter what they say, a reference check is always an interruption to the reference person’s day. Why would an applicant want to share that information without having any discussion about the position first? References are the last step in the hiring process before the offer. Do not expect… Read More
Continue ReadingLazy Ad Writing
First let me say, I read through a business development job ad today that was fairly well-written. The ad did use many second person questions – Do you enjoy closing deals…? I’m not a huge fan of that approach, but I suspect it engages the readers at some level. The part I wanted to call out was towards the end of the ad when the author calls out the requirements for this position: To be a successful candidate for the BDM position, you should: · Hold a Bachelor€™s Degree, preferably in Packaging · Have 8 years sales-related packaging experience First, the B.A. degree should be a preference and not a… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Ads That Include Excel
I wouldn’t recommend this tact to a sales ad: Are you the candidate we are looking for? If you are very familiar with Excel, have good organizational skills along with verbal and written communication abilities, you may just be the future (salesperson) for our growing business. Leading with Excel and organizational skills are generally not the strongest points for drawing in talented salespeople. I would recommend putting those abilities in a “helpful to have” section. Far better to focus on the abilities the salesperson will need to close business.
Continue ReadingMisguided "Hiring A Hunter" Assumptions
I just read another article about hiring sales “hunters” that was filled with simplistic tips and tricks. The article triggered a thought – there seems to be much conventional wisdom about hiring strong salespeople that permeates these articles. Unfortunately, I think the logic behind them is overly assumptive. Let’s look at some of these mythical assumptions: Sales Managers Should Always Be Interviewing Sales CandidatesThis approach sounds good in a theoretical sense but has minimal real-world application. The only sales managers who should follow this approach are ones who head up high-turnover sales departments. A sales managers’ top priority is to increase profitable revenue (with an eye on SG&A at the same… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Quality Orientation
Quality of standards is an important aspect of successful selling. A salesperson who does not ensure quality has a tendency to appear inaccurate, or to the extreme – sloppy. Since salespeople are initially the face of the company, this quality disconnect can present a poor view of the company’s quality as a whole. Quality OrientationThis trait is a measure of a salesperson€™s affinity for seeing details, grading them against a preset standard (internal or external) and identifying flaws. This is directly related to a person€™s preference for paying attention to detail. Whereas attention to detail is more a measure of how capable a person is to appropriately see detail, this capacity… Read More
Continue ReadingAre You Using Assessments?
Most people are, according to a Workforce Management Quick Take titled Organizations Look to Get Personal in €™07. Statistics from the short article (my emphasis): Organizations in 2007 will increasingly turn to personality tests when recruiting and hiring, according to Birkman International in Houston. Birkman, citing research from New Orleans-based Rocket-Hire Inc. (a Dear Workforce contributor), says 65 percent of companies used them in 2006, up from 34 percent a year earlier. That is a noticeable increase in one year. If you are not using assessments today in your hiring process, we can help.
Continue ReadingCustomers Don’t Walk
Here is an urban legend we encounter frequently in our sales hiring activities – customers don’t walk with the salesperson. What I mean is customers rarely follow a salesperson to a new company. If the salesperson quits one company and goes to a competitor, it is a rare occurrence in which the customers move their business with the salesperson. Yes, everyone can provide an example of when it happened, but we deal with many salespeople in many industries and it just is not common. Sales candidates, on the other hand, will go out of their way claiming that they can bring the business with them. Unfortunately, many companies who do… Read More
Continue ReadingIt’s All In The Questions
Selling Power provides an excellent article regarding a sales ability that is often overlooked – The Art of Asking Great Questions. Listening is an important sales skill that leads to qualifying success. But as the article points out, listening ability it not worth much if you cannot ask the right question. You can€™t simply walk in a prospect€™s door and say, €œWhat are the issues you are struggling with?€ or €œWhat keeps you up at night?€ Today, you€™d be jettisoned out of the office by savvy executives who demand more researched, intelligent, and thought-provoking questions. This approach is true no matter what you sell. The ability to ask good questions… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Decision Making
This week we look at an insightful trait that has become more important for salespeople in today’s market. Sales requires a certain “feel” for a situation even though all of the data is not obvious. You could call this trait sales intuition. Decision MakingThe ability to accurately compile intuitive perceptions about a situation into a decision or action. This ability allows one to be €œintuitional€ as opposed to intellectual (requiring data and logical reasoning) in effective decision making. This capacity requires a good deal of understanding of people, the outside world and the ability to visualize the whole picture in a mental scenario. A salesperson with strength in this trait will… Read More
Continue ReadingTips For Extending Job Offers
I am going to chime in here a bit on the Velvet Hammer’s post from below regarding the 1 week window for making offers to candidates. Last week, Selling Power had an excellent article in their newsletter that contained some great tips. Dan Miller, vice president of Talent Acquisition and Retention at Monster.com made this smart suggestion (my emphasis): “Don’t just talk about the base salary; talk about the ability the candidates will have to achieve the upside,” says Miller. “Candidates may take a lower offer on the base salary if they feel that they have the tools and opportunities to exceed quota. If you’re trying to build a world-class… Read More
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