First, before I get into this week’s sales hiring tip, apologies for “going underground” for such a long stretch with no posts.

It was the “5 day project” that took 5 weeks that got me.

I’ve always wanted to have an online Sales Hiring Course that I was proud to offer as an introduction to the AHS System.

Finally decided to sit down and write it. Between life and my other client commitments it took five weeks. Over the next week or so, we’ll post it for existing clients in the Member Area – and probably offer it as a “pay for” feature to email subscribers.

Thanks for your patience — and glad to be back.

A Smart Way to Get High Quality Information From Applicants

Client Jamie Futrell of Bristol Broadcasters from Paducah, KY is a savvy manager.  One of those Colombo type comments he made last month is really clever and worth passing along.

After he and his General Manager use the AHS system to screen applicants for Values and Styles, each of them then conducts interviews with the applicants. They use the AHS 4 Part Interview Module in the Member Area to script their interviews.

If they are satisfied and are close to making a favorable decision, Jamie calls the applicant and tell them “everything looks good.” Then he says, “In order to help you (the applicant) to get a chance to meet some of the other salespeople and find out what I’m like to work for, I’ve arranged for you to spend a day with two of my reps.”

The “key”is, Jamie makes sure to match male applicants with two male salespeople and female applicants with two female salespeople.

Male bonding and female bonding at work gives him much better quality information.

He told me about instances where his salespeople have come in after a day with the applicant and have told him “no way – and here’s why.” Then they proceed to tell him about something the applicant said “in confidence” that makes them totally unsuitable.

Switch Your Focus to Better Sales Hiring

I was on Dave Kahle’s site the other day reading all the wonderful things he can do for your sales team. Let Dave train your salesmen and they’re going to be able to sell ice to Eskimos.

I really don’t mean to pick on Dave. I don’t even know the guy, but having spent years managing sales teams, I think there is one thing missing in Dave’s site. He fails to point out that only 25% of your sales team will have any permanent benefit from sales training, even the exalted quality of his training.

It took me a long time to realize this. Most Sales Managers, though, never come to this awareness.

I have been a Sales Manager for a long time. I remember when we didn’t use email. I remember when getting appointments came from mailing letters and making cold telephone calls.

Like every Sales Manager, I always budgeted sales training, every year. It was a given. Everyone knew you needed sales training. However, few of us kept good enough records to track what results we got from it.

An Eye-Opener: Realizing How We Recruit Salespeople is More Important

Then in 1992 it all changed for me.  I started keeping track of results in a spreadsheet program. All of a sudden I began to realize that my team’s uneven performance was really due to the unevenness of my team’s quality.

However when I went out to LA for a week long marketing seminar it all came together for me. One of the presenters, Jim Cecil, talked about using sales assessment profiles. He showed how by “modeling” we can clone top performers’ styles and values. In other words we can know before hiring a salesperson whether they are likely to turn into top performers.

When I returned to the East Coast I was a man possessed. I developed an ongoing system to advertise for salesmen Using words developed from the profiles we wrote ads that focused in on top sales performers. Only those applicants who profiled right were interviewed.

The rest is history. We ended up creating a 200 person sales team with outstanding results on a per team member basis.

The key was in setting up a sales hiringt system. Hire better and the rest is easy!

For a free test worth $75 complete the form here. Sales Managers or CEO’s only. Thanks

(At this time as we might be getting a blip up in the economy, I think it is critical that we review the basics. One key to being an excellent “sales hiring” sales manager is to always be recruiting.)

The Best Sales Teams Are Always Recruiting for Better Sales

I am mystified when I talk to managers who say they have a good team and are, therefore, not looking.

How can they predict what kind of turnover is going to come their way? And why do they deliberately recruit under pressure?

The easiest and most effective way to build a great team is to “always be recruiting.” Let the world know that your sales department can always make room for a salesperson with great potential.

Then, as applicants come in, run the tests and only talk to the great ones.

It is so simple and always works.