How to Hire Employees – The One Question You Must Answer in a Sales Hiring Interview

At some point in most sales interviews most interviewers make a fatal mistake and ask something like, “Tell me a little about yourself…”

At that point the interviewer has given the interviewee permission to take control of the interview. In 99% of the cases the interviewer has lost control of the interview from that point.

The applicant is now taking the interviewer on a “word spinning ride.”

Unfortunately most interviewers think this is a good thing — watching the applicant spin a web of words.

I am here to tell you it is not a good thing – or more specifically it doesn’t mean much of anything.

Amateur interviewers think they are seeing “how the applicant was so convincing in the interview. So articulate. So charming, so professional, so, so so…”

In reality sales hiring interviews like this are a waste of time for one simple reason – the interviewer has not clearly thought through what really needs to happen in the interview.

Seeing if someone can persuasively spin words is only one aspect of what is required to be a successful salesperson.

Yes, true, salespeople need to be persuasive, but being persuasive is only one part of the job. In 99% of the cases you can do this with a sales assessment we call the StylesMatrix(TM). You get a more accurate reading from using theStylesMatrix(TM). .

So what is the one thing? I believe the real “meat” of selling success, is how they are going to meet roadblocks, discouragement and dead ends.

Selling is about keep on keeping on when things are not going the way you want them to go.

In the sales hiring interview, the one question you want to get answered is whether the applicant has follow-through, stick-to-itiveness and the ability to overcome adversity. That is the one question that you need to determine in the interview.

Advanced Hiring System has developed an entire system to help you hire salespeople who really can succeed. Interviewing your sales applicant well is a key part of hiring sales applicants who can sell after they get hired.

Checklists are handy things. Professionals use checklists.

Pilots are big on checklists. Check out the cool video here

I’ve prepared a list of things not to do when hiring salespeople.

In 2003, when our company’s growth got us to 200 salespeople very quickly, I realized we were way too focused on training. We needed to fix our sales hiring.

Hopefully becoming more aware of these pitfalls will help you to be a better sales manager for 2010.

1. Not constantly looking for sales talent.

If you don’t have a folder in your Outlook of applicants you’ve talked to who show promise, you’re missing out on a key way to build – over time, a better team.

2) Only running the sales hiring process when you need a salesperson.

Someone quits and you start scrambling. Related to number 1, but this is only one dimension of the benefit. You’ll laugh at “sales hiring crunch worries” forever.

3) Running ads that attract the wrong personality style.

If you want a hoot, open up any job board and look at the ads for salespeople. Most of them say to me, “No top sales performers need to apply.” They look like ads written by people who hate sales and salespeople.

4) Not marketing your company’s sales position.

Your sales team is your company’s lifeblood. Really. Great product. A lousy sales team means disaster.

Hopefully, this will get you started. I’ll post some more later, but I’ve got to run to a meeting…

Better Sales – Managing Different Styles The High-S

High-S behavior is staying in one physical location for extended periods of time. High-S’s make good accounting managers and receptionists since their work requires they stay in the same physical location for extended periods of time.

The High-S is possibly a good inside salesperson PROVIDED that other criteria are met. This is discussed in the Member Area of the Advanced Hiring System website. In general, though, we recommend you stay away from High-S in salespeople.

If you’ve ever hired a salesperson who looked good, smelled good and everything seemed right with them in the interview, but they never left the office, you hired a High-S.

Many sales managers think they can train people to change their behavior. Be extremely cautious when you find this thought creeping into your head – especially with High-S’s.

When I was a young sales guy, I remember my Sales Manager going through the office at 10:00 am clapping his hands saying, “OK everyone out of the office.” He was trying to fix the High-S hirers he had made by getting them out. It was an exercise in futility as those High-S’s just go home or to their favorite coffee show.

Think back to the time you’ve hired a salesperson who you thought was spending a long time learning about the product at their desk. Did they really ever succeed? In the overwhelming majority of cases they failed.

Outside sales is Low-S behavior. It requires a personality style that enjoys going to different places – which is what is required to make sales calls.