I was on a new client service call last week talking with Harry. Harry is a General Agent for Ohio National.

He said, “They tell us that Millenials don’t want money so that’s why they’re not applying. For three years I’ve tried to reach Millenials. Since we’ve signed up with you guys at Advanced Hiring more than half our applicants are Millenials. I am loving this.”

I love this kind of call because it reinforces something I’ve said for years. Most people don’t believe me when I say it. Millennials in the US and Europe who can sell are just like everybody else.

There’s a bunch of crapola out there that says Millenials don’t care about money.

Guess what?

Neither do most Baby boomers, Gen Xers, Traditionalists or members of the Silent Generation!

That’s just the way it is. And I say Thank God for that! Can you imagine a world in which everybody was money or power motivated? There’d be no nurses, teachers, or soldiers.

But salespeople MUST be money or power motivated. Because if they’re not then they won’t sell much. (You’ve hired enough of them already to know what that’s like.)

How do we do the kind of magic we did for Harry where he went from zero to 60 so fast? Here’s a link to a new tool we’ve developed to help you figure it out for your company.

Please do it today because my CFO wants me to start charging for this service.

Creating an effective sales hiring system is based on integrity. At the end of the day, your goal is to convey to the applicants that your company is the best place for top sales agents.

Exceptional salesmanship is truly one of the rarest skills. Therefore, if you are going to attract the attention of these top closers, it’s critical at every step that you are upfront. Tell them what you need and be honest if they qualify or not.

A courtesy that has a big impact on your company’s image is a rejection letter sent to candidates who don’t make the cut at different levels of the hiring process. Through this method, you are letting applicants know where they stand. It will also save you the time and trouble of answering emails and phone calls to check about their application status.

We have a recommended format that simply states that their application has been rejected because of better, more qualified candidates: simple and to the point. It further demonstrates that your company has its act together – and is the kind of place that top closers can find a home.

If you do it right, you’re going to get to pick from the best of the best in the end which, to be honest, is an enviable spot to be in. When you exert effort to send a rejection letter, applicants think highly of your company. Moreover, you are not closing doors in the event that these salespeople surpass the learning curve and reach their true potential.

Doing business with integrity is rare these days and your effort to go the extra mile will be noticed in the industry. Word will get around that your company is a place where top performers are provided all the opportunities to shine – and that’s an ideal company image to strive for.

I’ve just finished my cousin, Martin Greenfield’s book “The Measure of a Man.” It is the story of an amazing life. From surviving Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps to becoming suit maker to world leaders. American Presidents including Truman, Eisenhower,  Busch, Clinton and Obama are all dressed by Martin.  Presidential hopefuls  including Bloomberg, Collin Powell and The Donald are among his customers.

As a selling professional, “Salesmanship in Action” would be my subtitle.

Martin is a great story teller — and an amazing salesman.  Written from the most personal perspective, you won’t be able to put it down.
Growing up on Long Island in NY, my Dad would take me to Brooklyn when he had his suits made by Martin.

As a young American boy, I remember the rows of workers in the factory. Many of the workers had numbers tattooed on their arms from the concentration camps.

Martin would stop at the workstations of the hundreds of workers. He’d make small talk in Yiddush and introduce my Dad to them.

Every Passover Seder we would go to Martin and Arlene’s home.

We all knew the story of how Martin, the orphan, had arrived in the US after the Second World War.  And how he had become a master clothier for some of the world’s most successful men. Yet, we were forbidden to ask Martin about the number on his arm.

I was with Martin in Jerusalem two years ago. I saw how Martin, at 83, is still a vigorous and persuasive salesman. We went to the Great Synagogue together on Saturday morning. Within 20 minutes, Martin had met and was invited to a meal with some of Jerusalem’s most successful men. No pressure, just pure charm and warmth — and never having met any of them. Of course, he told me later, some of those men ended up wearing Martin Greenfield suits.