In the realm of sales organizations, the challenge of hiring the right salesperson has often led us down a tricky path of hasty, gut-based selections. All too often, these decisions result in a mediocre sales team, a pitfall underscored by Peter D. Widdle, a Staffing and Hiring writer for the Wall Street Journal, in his insightful dissection of Malcolm Gladwell's book, Blink.
Widdle, respected for his shrewd understanding of recruitment dynamics, extrapolated Gladwell's theory – most people's tendency to make quick, gut decisions – into the field of sales hiring. This approach, while valuable in certain situations, may not yield the best results in recruitment, as many managers battling a low 20-25% sales hiring success rate have discovered.
Yet Widdle does not wholly dismiss Gladwell's model. He instead proposes a method of sales candidate targeting that uses this quick decision-making trait to our advantage. The logic is simple: if candidates are making snap judgements on job postings, our advertisements must be designed to immediately engage and captivate potential salespeople.
Examine your current job ads critically. If they lack the allure of competing ads in your sector, then consider a rewrite. Utilize the invaluable resources from the AHS Ad Writing Module in the Member Area. This module provides an array of elements that form compelling ads, providing a strategic edge in your search for quality candidates.
The complexities of sales hiring can seem daunting, but with the right sales hiring tool, it becomes manageable. If you're encountering difficulties in designing effective job ads or any aspect of sales hiring, reach out for assistance. Our aim is to facilitate your recruitment process, ensuring you build a strong sales team that drives your organization's success.
Ultimately, it takes more than just gut feelings to succeed in sales hiring. By making strategic adjustments, particularly in attracting candidates, we can turn instinctive decision-making into a more productive and effective process. It's time we learned from Gladwell's 'blink' moment and apply it to our recruitment efforts. This way, we improve our chances of not just hiring a salesperson, but hiring the right salesperson. The process of how to recruit salespeople becomes more of a science than an art, leading to more consistent results. Schedule a free Science of Sales Hiring Strategy Session where we’ll review your current approach to hiring salespeople.
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