sales hiring optimization
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Sales Hiring Optimization: The Power of Assessments and Tests

We're about to dive into the fascinating world of sales assessments and tests. These nifty tools do much more than grade your sales team. They can transform your sales process, create superstars, and put you on the fast track to phenomenal success. Ready? Let's go!

Finding Hidden Gems: Measuring Sales Potential Through Assessment Tests

You've got a team, some of them are regularly hitting and exceeding goals. But the majority are mediocre – to put it kindly. You didn’t hire using profiles, but know that you’ve been around a bit, you’re wanting to find out if any of your “mediocres” have the potential to turn things around for themselves. Enter sales assessment tests. These are not your old school pop quizzes but state-of-the-art evaluations designed to measure the innate selling abilities that can't be found on a LinkedIn profile or resume.

Sales assessment tests look beyond the numbers and go straight to the heart of what makes a salesperson truly shine. They gauge traits like resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving prowess. These tests are like your personal treasure maps, helping you discover who can bring home the gold and push your business to new heights.

But caution is required here! Do not terminate those who are mediocre and were identified by the profiles as unsuitable for a sales career. This will bring the hellfire of the government down on you. Rather, set goals and terminate for failure to achieve goals. You are legally not permitted to terminate based on tests.

Straight Shooter: Objective Evaluation Methods for Sales Talent

There's no room for favoritism in sales. You want a team of top performers, and for that, you need an unbiased referee. Objective evaluation methods ensure everyone's on a level playing field. They focus on the facts, analyzing key performance indicators, and behavioral patterns to provide a clear picture of each salesperson's capabilities.

By using these methods, you're promoting a culture of meritocracy, where talent and effort determine success. Objective evaluations empower your team, boosting motivation, and driving them to reach their full potential.

Hiring the Right Way: Testing Sales Skills

We’re aiming for Sales hiring optimization. A LinkedIn Profile or resume might tell you a bit about a candidate, but it's not going to spill the beans on their ability to close a deal. That's where testing sales skills for hiring purposes comes into play. These tests go beyond surface-level qualifications and delve into the practicalities of selling.

A sales skills test is your secret weapon for hiring top-notch talent. It can reveal a candidate's understanding of sales processes, their negotiation tactics, and their resilience in the face of rejection. By integrating these tests into your hiring process, you'll be bringing onboard sales champs who can sprint to the finish line.

The Perfect Match: Using ValuesMatrix(TM) and StylesMatrix(TM) for Sales Hiring

Imagine if you could find the perfect match for your sales team. That is sales hiring optimization.A person whose values align with your company culture and whose work style complements your existing team. That's not just a dream, that's what you get with ValuesMatrix(TM) and StylesMatrix(TM).

ValuesMatrix(TM) helps you understand what drives a person's decisions. Do they value innovation? Or are they all about customer satisfaction? This tool uncovers those inner motivations that can steer your company's success.

On the other hand, StylesMatrix(TM) shows you how a person works. Do they thrive under pressure? Importantly, what is their deeply-held attitude toward influencing others. How do they interact with others? Getting this snapshot helps you build a harmonious team, where everyone brings something unique to the table.

Together, these matrices are your blueprint for a high-performing sales team. They ensure you're not just hiring skilled salespeople, but individuals who can contribute to your team in meaningful ways.

So, there you have it! Sales assessments and tests are not just about keeping tabs on your sales team. They're game-changers that can help you measure potential, hire the right people, and build an unstoppable sales force. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to embrace these tools and race ahead to that sales finish line!

If you’d like to find out how to build a sales recruitment system based on the latest AI and brain research, schedule a free Science of Sales Hiring Strategy Session.

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Why DISC Scores Consistenly Lead Sales Managers to Ruin

When I first came across DISC in 1989, I was skeptical about DISC. How could the 20-30 set of words in a DISC test help me recruit quality salespeople?

I had signed up for a marketing conference in L.A together with 200 other attendees. One of the presenters Jim Cecil, a Vistage coach, distrtibuted my first exposure to DISC .

It was pre-Internet so administering the test was quite different. in the end, 200 attendees to a $25,000 a seat conference were“ooing” and “ahing.”

Jim explained that DISC alone, is not enough to identify best sales candidate. Without an test to elicit Values, you won’t find top performers.

That said, I took that tool back to Virginia and we began running 100’s of profiles every month. And what I discovered very quickly was the version of DISC we were using was too difficult to use in sales hiring.

Today, sales hiring done right, means getting lasrge numbers of applicants.

We tell our clients 50 applicants per postion minmum. (We used to say 20-30 but applicants have become more clever at faking a track record of success.)

Using the version we had been using with its 20-30 pages of dialogue was too confusing. Plus the verbiage was open to interpretation in any number of different ways.

SInce 1989 I tested 14 different versions but never got closer to a tool that gave us “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.”

In 2003 I decided to create my own proprietary DISC. What I needed was a sales test that told me, “Should I call this applicant in for an interview or not?”

Most DISC tests have one fatal flaw: They are too vague because they are for many positions. That’s why the Advanced Hiring CORE Style Filtration Extractor(tm) is a sales-only.

We’re happy to share it with any sales manager who is sick and tired of being disappointed with their sales hires. Click the button below and we’re happy to show you an easier, more accurate way to use DISC.

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Valentines Day: DISC Styles Technique For a Good Marriage

Can DISC Profiles explain why some couples, like my wife Leah and I, have stayed married for 43 years? Or why other couples “throw in the towel” long before “death do us part?”

I didn’t pick my wife based on her DISC profile — in fact, I didn’t know beans about DISC Profiles when I first met her. I just really liked being around her. However having learned to read DISC styles has helped us stay together.

Our marriage has had its ups and downs. There were many times over the past 43 years that I was ready to call it quits and so was she.

DISC is a personality style system. It’s a tool that’s been around for nearly 100 years and has gone through constant refinements. In DISC we measure four aspects of the human personality. We then look at the relationship of those aspects. Then establish both a Natural more permanent style and an Adapted situational style.

In order for DISC styles to be helpful in making a marriage work, the interface of the two partners styles needs to be managed by them. This is easier for some styles to do than others — regardless it can be learned. For a marriage to work, often the responses need to be “Oh, its their personality style that is causing them to…”

I think one partner will tend to compromise more than the other. Certain styles are more happy to bend.

In a society that values Drive and Achievement, we focuson maximum achievement. In my opinion, this tends to partner two high Drives. Unless Drivers are very self-aware, this is often a prescription for disaster.

The four aspects of DISC are Drive, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance.

DRIVE: That voice inside my head saying “I’ve got to make it”, “I can do it”, “I’m the one who can make this happen”, “It’s all about me”. Drive is about putting my ego on the line, if I fail I am hard on myself. The Drive voice inside my head talks tough to myself.

Under pressure Drivers tend to push people, rather than lead and they become impatient.

INFLUENCE: My ability to communicate with others in a way they like to be communicated with. Influence is about my flexible communication style. Influence is my ability to measure the effect of my communication on others. How I adjust to get my message through.

Under pressure Influencers become all heart over head. They rely too heavily on verbal ability.

STEADINESS: My desire to stay for extended periods of time on one physical location. Steadiness is the desire for less movement and more stability. It is my desire for routines.

Steadies under stress resist change. They internalize feelings when they should be discussing them.

COMPLIANCE: My belief in the value and importance of rules. My comfort in following the rules.

When feeling pressure Compliants experience analysis paralysis and avoid controversy.

As it turns out, my wife Leah and I have complimentary styles. Fortunately despite be a Driver, I had the good sense to look for someone who is kind hearted and let’s things go.

Oh, and we don’t marriage counseling here at Advanced Hiring. We use these power tools to help clients hire great salespeople. If you’re looking to hire great salespeople we’ve put together a quick one minute quiz that will help. Click the button below to take the short quiz.

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