We’ve been working with clients to hire top performing salespeople for 16 years.  In truth, from time to time, I feel like I’ve said it all.

And then, I read an article on LinkedIn and realize, once again, why more than 3 out of 4 sales hires fails.

First of all, focus on what you are looking for in an interview. In our System, we profile sales applicants before we meet them.

Because we do this, we know  the values and personality style ahead of time. We know the applicant matches the values and style of most top salespeople.

In the interview you’re looking for the applicant to give examples in their lives  of:
•    Stick-to-ive-ness
•    Follow through
•    Ability to overcome adversity
•    Entrepreneurialism

Second, structured interviews get you high quality answers. Never “wing it” in an interview. Have all your questions planned and prewritten.

Third, ask the same questions, in the same order, of each applicant. By nature we tend to like people we “bond” with. But we’re not looking for a friend here.  We are trying to determine if they applicant is tough enough to do the hard work of selling.

By asking the same questions in the same order,  you are able to compare the applicant’s answers.  This is a key point.

Finally, never ask the following questions that Afa Front in the LinkedIn article suggests. They are too open-ended. You won’t get any information that will help you pick the best applicant.

1. Tell Me About Yourself
This is a horrible question. It gives the applicant to take control of the interview. If you believe that is what selling is about, you’re bound to hire duds.

2. What’s Your Greatest Strength?
Another bad question because you won’t be able to compare the answers you get. One applicant will tell one lie, another applicant will tell another lie.

3. Why Should We Hire You?
What would be a right answer? Exactly there is no way to score this answer. Skip it.

4. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
Can you imagine a lawyer asking that of a witness in a court room? Bad  question. Only gives up control of the interview.

Delivering a structured, scripted interview for every sales applicant puts you ahead of 3 out of 4 sales hirers – and is one of the keys to successful sales hiring.

LinkedIn Sucks these days — and why you still need it.

We all feel frustrated going to LinkedIn and seeing our inbox filled with offers. 90% of them are off-target.

Most senders don’t know squat about Sales 101 when they contact us.

Some say Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn turned it spammy.

(They did pay $26 billion for it. Kind of gives you a hint they want it to be Facebook for Business.)

Regardless of all the LinkedIn spam, we tell clients to stay in LinkedIn. There is still tremendous value in building a LinkedIn profile.

In fact, if you’re looking to hire salespeople, your managers MUST have good profiles.

Think about it for a second.  You’re written a great ad. It talks directly to the right kind of people — those who’d rather sell than breathe. It excites their interest.

You’re got it running in all the right places.

Tons are applying.

And that one sales animal sees it who will find all the hidden business you know is out there.

How will they find out about you and your business to check you out?

Where do they look? That’s right, LinkedIn.

So if you’re vaguely entertaining the idea of deleting your LinkedIn profile, think again.

Tolerate the spam. Work on building your profile.

Make your profile say one thing: “I know how rare and valuable great sales talent is. Come work with me and we will both make a lot of money.”

DISCLAIMER: LinkedIn is a registered trademark. Advanced Hiring System is not affiliated with LinkedIn, nor should it be implied that we are in any way associated with them

Finding the Most Qualified Sales Applicants With or Without Industry Experience

Can’t get really good sales applicants to apply? Maybe you’re stuck in the great myth that plagues sales managers all over the world:

Applicants need previous industry sales experience.

People Used to Believe the Earth Was Flat

Let’s examine this belief:  Is your top earning rep currently looking to leave?

Ridiculous, right?  If you’re doing a good job as a sales manager, the answer better be a resounding “NO!”  Your top reps should be making way too much to consider leaving.

Top reps have an established base of business and referrals, so they’re happy.  And since life is good for them, they’re not going anywhere.

Any competitor stupid enough to try to recruit them away is going to have to pay a ton.

The myth of successfully hiring a seasoned rep is, well — a myth.

Revolving Door Mediocrity

So what really happens when you recruit for previous industry sales experience?

You’ve seen it firsthand, over and over and over. You get weak salespeople. You get the slugs from your competitor’s team, the people who are not making it.

They’re not bad people. They’re just not cut out for sales. They always think the problem is not them. They figure THE COMPANY is the problem. At THEIR company, all the good accounts have been taken by the top salespeople. They want to work for YOUR company so some of that juiciest fruit will fall to them.

What they don’t realize is, top salespeople go get business. They don’t wait for it to appear on their account list. Mediocre salespeople wait to be told what to do and where to go get it.

And if you hire one of these previous industry sales experience second stringers, you’ll get to be their Daddy or their Mommy.

Full of Piss and Vinegar

Think back to when you were a young first-time salesperson. If you were like me, you were a 23 year old who was looking to make their mark — and you came in early and left late.

My rule was “be in before the boss and leave after he does.”

Being a young, inexperienced rep means you’re coachable. Young people are often two or three years out of school. They’re used to being a student and paying attention to what the instructor says.  They want to make their mark.

Not all young applicants should be considered. We’ve developed a strategy for figuring out which ones to interview and which ones never to call back. Click here and watch the video we’ve prepared that shows you the best way to hire salespeople.

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