| How many times has this scenario played out | | | | Their preference is for a position in which |
| in a company? The candidates resume | | | | most of their talents are engaged. This |
| indicated that he had extensive success in | | | | desire manifests itself in their activities |
| our market and had progressed in each of his | | | | involving more than simple selling. They may |
| positions. When we brought him in for an | | | | become interested in marketing plans, product |
| interview, he was a good communicator, | | | | development, customer service and so forth. |
| likeable, well-groomed and focused on our | | | | These broad interests and activities will |
| industry. We hired him and he was an | | | | dilute their sales effectiveness since they |
| absolute stiff. He wouldnt call leads, he | | | | end up spending time on non-sales activities. |
| couldnt qualify prospects and he never closed | | | | |
| a significant deal. We fired him 12 months | | | | The mitigating factor here is whether there |
| later. The only reason why we waited so long | | | | is a skills path for the salesperson to |
| was because his forecast was loaded with | | | | follow within the company. If the |
| large opportunities that were perpetually 45 | | | | salesperson is provided an ascending path |
| days away from closing. | | | | with a reasonable time window, they will |
| | | | often grow into a larger position of |
| This expensive scenario is all-too-common in | | | | responsibility within the company. |
| corporate America today. Yet, companies | | | | Unfortunately, this path is not always |
| continue to follow the same hiring process | | | | available within the hiring company. |
| when looking for solid salespeople. To quote | | | | |
| Albert Einstein, Insanity: doing the same | | | | If the abundantly talented salesperson is not |
| thing over and over again and expecting | | | | rewarded by the material trappings of |
| different results. | | | | success, and the position rewards them |
| | | | materially, they will seek out a new |
| Successful sales hiring requires 3 main focal | | | | opportunity which requires a broader talent |
| points for success work experience, | | | | set. Hence, hiring these sales candidates |
| objective assessment and in-person abilities. | | | | into a misaligned position may lead to |
| I would rank them all at 30% importance and | | | | short-term success but is often doomed by a |
| leave 10% to other fit factors (compensation, | | | | short-term tenure. |
| writing ability, travel, etc.). | | | | |
| | | | --Right Talent-- |
| The focus of this article is the objective | | | | |
| assessment portion of the decision and, | | | | The Holy Grail of hiring is finding the right |
| specifically an item that is often presumed | | | | talent for the position. Most companies |
| talent. | | | | approach this goal with a belief in hiring |
| | | | the salesperson with extensive experience in |
| Talent is a fuzzy word. What that means is | | | | their industry and an abundance of talent. |
| that you could ask 10 different people to | | | | Experiential hiring is an entire article unto |
| define it and you would receive 10 different | | | | itself. But the right talent is the target |
| answers. In the context of this article, | | | | and finding it requires an often overlooked |
| lets define talent as a persons natural | | | | step profiling the sale. |
| aptitude a characteristic feature of their | | | | |
| abilities. To be clear, talent is different | | | | Profiling the sale involves defining the |
| than skill. | | | | parameters of one typical sale. Some |
| | | | criteria to consider: |
| Our hiring process allows us to measure a | | | | |
| candidates talents and compare those talents | | | | -How many initial contacts are needed to |
| to the positions requirements. This gap | | | | eventually close one sale? |
| analysis provides insights into a candidates | | | | |
| abilities that no interviewer could ascertain | | | | -What is the monetary size of an average |
| even after hours of interviews. Talent is | | | | order? |
| deep seated and in conducting these | | | | |
| assessments, we consistently encounter 3 | | | | -How much time is spent selling new accounts |
| levels of talent. | | | | vs. existing accounts? |
| | | | |
| --Wrong Talent-- | | | | -How long is one typical sales cycle? |
| | | | |
| This sounds simple; the candidate simply does | | | | These are just a handful of questions that |
| not fit the position since they lack specific | | | | paint the picture of what talents are most |
| talents. No, wrong in this context refers to | | | | effective within the requirements of the |
| a misalignment between the talents of the | | | | position. The important point is to first |
| sales candidate and the requirements of the | | | | understand what is needed before trying to |
| position. | | | | tackle what talent is available. The key |
| | | | point in this process is simple you cannot |
| The most frequent example we encounter | | | | ask a new salesperson to do something 10, 20 |
| involves a candidates empathy. A sales | | | | or 50 times (closed deals) if you cannot |
| position for a quick, 1 or 2 call close sale | | | | define for them how to do it once. |
| typically requires a candidate with lower | | | | |
| empathy aptitudes. The salesperson needs to | | | | The right talent requires strength in the |
| be quick, concise and dispassionate. The | | | | specific areas defined by profiling the sale. |
| salesperson will have a short window to | | | | Yet, there is a follow up piece to this |
| qualify a prospect before closing them or | | | | information that has to be pursued how does |
| moving on to the next prospect. | | | | the candidate use the talent? An attribute |
| | | | of the right talent is the ability to |
| Conversely, a relationship sale, with an | | | | effectively apply that talent. We often |
| extended sales cycle, requires a candidate | | | | state that just because a candidate has a |
| with more developed empathy aptitudes. This | | | | talent, it does not mean that they use it. |
| sale requires rapport, even a | | | | The application of their talent can only be |
| friendship-building talent that will steadily | | | | discerned by asking specific questions during |
| move the prospect through the sales cycle to | | | | the interview portion of the hiring process. |
| a successful conclusion. | | | | |
| | | | Selecting a salesperson with the wrong talent |
| If you hire the salesperson with less | | | | will lead to the quickest exit of any |
| empathetic aptitude and place him in the | | | | newly-hired salesperson. This salesperson |
| relationship sale, you will see him cover | | | | may attempt to prolong the inevitable, but |
| much ground but close few deals. Typically, | | | | their misaligned talents will force a |
| these salespeople attempt to push the | | | | separation. |
| prospect faster than their decision process | | | | |
| will allow. This approach has an | | | | Selecting a salesperson with an abundance of |
| unsophisticated clumsiness to it when viewed | | | | talent may work in the long run as long as |
| firsthand. | | | | the salesperson is challenged in multiple |
| | | | areas. The end result in this situation most |
| Salespeople with strong empathy talents | | | | likely will be the salesperson moving on |
| rarely succeed in the quick-close sales role. | | | | either into a greater position within your |
| They over-empathize with their prospects and | | | | company or to another company which offers a |
| tend to draw out the sales cycle well beyond | | | | greater challenge. |
| two calls. This approach has a slow softness | | | | |
| to it that leads to few closed deals. | | | | Selecting a salesperson with the right talent |
| | | | requires a detailed profile of your sale. |
| --Abundant Talent-- | | | | That profile becomes the blueprint which is |
| | | | then used to define the candidates with the |
| This level of talent is the most difficult to | | | | right blend of talents for success in the |
| comprehend. Essentially, an abundance of | | | | position. This analysis can only occur with |
| talent will often lead to a short tenure for | | | | a combination of objective talent assessment |
| the salesperson. An abundance of talent | | | | followed by an interview to pursue the |
| means the salesperson has many natural | | | | findings of the assessment. |
| aptitudes and is searching for a position in | | | | |
| which to apply these many talents. These | | | | If you define the specific talents your sale |
| salespeople can grow weary of a position even | | | | requires, your search for the right talent |
| when they are excelling in it. | | | | will lead to the strongest sales candidates. |
| | | | |