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How to Master the Art of Hiring Winners |
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How to Master the Art of Hiring Winners
Ultimately, the success of any sales organization is equal to the quality of the salespeople who compose that organization. One of the most important functions of any sales manager is to make good hiring decisions. And when it comes to hiring decisions, there is probably only one universally agreed-upon fact: there is no perfect methodology that can guarantee you’ll make the best decision every time.
The following three steps however, will provide you with solid direction and prevent you from making costly hiring mistakes. They will enable you to hire a considerably greater percentage of winners and create a team of sales champions.
Step 1: Create a Vision of Your Sales Team
Before you begin to interview a candidate, you must create a clear profile of what you want your sales team to look like, sound like and act like.
A few years ago I delivered a keynote adressspeech at a national sales conference. I was speaking about what it takes to win at the game of sales to a group of sales professionals who could best be described as a “motley crew.” It was obvious from their attitude, body language and overall demeanor that they were closed to the concept of learning, growing and maximizing their potential.
After about fifteen minutes I was feeling like it might even be dangerous to my health to challenge them in any way. But I managed to override my fears and refused to compromise my message of passion, purpose and commitment. At the conclusion of my presentation it seemed as though everyone in the room was more appreciative of the fact that it had ended than of anything I had said. Everyone that is, except for two people: the president of the company and the national sales manager.
The president and the sales manager were absolutely absorbed and transfixed by my presentation. But it was neither the uniqueness of my ideas nor was it the eloquence of my delivery that elicited their reaction. It was what my presentation gave them: hope.
As it turned out, my presentation was a turning point in the development of their sales team and the overall success of their company. After I walked off the podium, they approached me and invited me to dinner.
At dinner they solemnly described the lack of motivation among their salespeople, their voices dropping to a depressed monotone as they discussed the negativity of the field force. They confirmed what I had observed moments before.
It was at that dinner table that they took the first step towards transforming their team of pretenders into world-class contenders. First I asked them if they were ready to make the hard decisions to let people go. They confirmed they were. I asked them, “If I had a magic wand and I could give you a world-class sales team, what would it look like?”
In just a moment or two, our discussion became supercharged with energy. Their eyes lit up, their voices became hopeful and they leaned forward in their chairs. They were passionate and speaking with a sense of purpose. They began to describe what their ideal salespeople would look like, how they’d sound, how they’d act and how both prospects and clients would respond to them. Right there at the dinner table, they had taken the first big step: they created their vision.
It took less than a year for their vision to take form in reality. The transformation was apparent to everyone both inside the company and to their competition. We worked through steps 2 and 3 together, and each new hire helped support the vision. Naturally, the transformation was supported with management training, sales training and the installation of a variety of sales support systems.
The most exciting part of this story is the results they were able to achieve. In approximately 18 months, sales had increased almost 30% and continued to climb to incredible heights after that. In less than three years their sales doubled!
Step 2: Establish Performance Expectations
After creating a vision of your ideal sales team, the next step is to create a specific profile of the individuals who can fulfill that vision. However, the secret of this step is not to focus on the individual but on the results.
By focusing on performance expectations rather than personal qualities, you will avoid a common mistake in hiring salespeople. Many individuals possess extremely important sales skills but do not have the ability to close business.
In the “Sweet Persuasion” sales system I teach, the first objective - as in many selling systems - is to make friends and establish trust. Yes, this is a valuable sales skill that is critical for success, but it should not be the basis for making a hiring decision.
This point is well illustrated in a story told to me by a manager who accompanied a low-achieving salesman on a sales call to find out why his production was so low. The salesman joked and bantered with his prospect about a variety of topics. From the vantage point of the sales manager, it appeared as though they were old friends. It was apparent that the prospect really liked the salesman.
Finally it came time to leave. As the salesman was heading for the door, the prospect expressed interest in finding out more about a certain product. Without missing a beat, the salesman shouted back as he headed out the door, “I’ll get back to you later on that.”
Practically every manager has been frustrated by the likable salesperson who has the gift of gab but is not a closer. This problem exists in the first place because the person was hired on the basis of a feature rather than a benefit. Isn’t it interesting that the sales axiom “Sell benefits not features” is equally critical when hiring winning salespeople. For hiring, the axiom should read: “Hire for results, not behavior.”
The profile for hiring a salesperson should therefore be based on specific performance expectations. If the sales manager in the previous example had evaluated the salesman on the basis of ability to increase sales in the territory by 20% instead of ability to make friends, he would have surely hired someone more capable.
Step 3: Create a Success Model
The third step is to create a success model. This can be accomplished by identifying the specific individuals who fit your vision and have achieved the performance results you are seeking.
First look at your current sales team and ask yourself, Do they fit our vision?” Identify the individuals who consistently achieve or exceed the performance expectations you set.
Then ask yourself, “What are the traits, qualities and characteristics that make these individuals so effective?” You will begin to compile a list of successful traits, qualities and skills. These become the critical personal characteristics you look for during your interviews.
Your model should include sales skills and sales attitude. Of these two, sales attitude is more important. The reason is simple: sales skills can always be learned, but sales attitude cannot be. For example, the salesperson who is persistent and a hard worker will probably outperform the skilled but lazy individual who refuses to keep the sales funnel filled.
As you create your success model, it is important to identify the specific capabilities you are looking for. Then, reviewing a candidate, look for similar past accomplishments. For example, if you are seeking individuals capable of targeting and selling to an upscale market, you should hire those individuals with accomplishments in this area. Unlike financial investment products, past sales performance is an excellent indicator of future performance.
By taking these three steps, your decision process will become easier. You will begin to identify sources for candidates on the basis of these three steps. As you become more adept at communicating the critical performance expectations and personal characteristics you are looking for, it will become easier to get high-quality referrals from networking contacts, recruiting firms, etc.
Your vision, performance expectations and success model will make it easier for you to interview candidates. You will discover questions that allow you to take control, probe deeper and identify the candidates who are most likely to succeed.
Think big picture first, establish performance expectations and finally identify the critical performance characteristics and success patterns that are needed to create success within your organization. This three-step process is the blueprint for hiring winners.
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