I just read a great…no, make that extraordinary post on Selling Is Dead.
It’s all about the path you need to navigate to create the best possible chance at hiring a successful salesman.
I tend to agree with the post, aside from a few steps that would really make me uneasy, if I was on the hoping to get hired side.
Such as:
‘Based on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance.’
I understand where they’re coming from, but wouldn’t that eliminate Einstein, Da Vinci and several other people who later became successful. Seems like it would create a cookie-cutter environment. The only people who made it thru the obstacle course would all basically fit the same mold. Kinda Ross Perot-ish…you know, all blue suits, white shirts and red ties.
‘Include a battery of tests measuring personality and temperament, as well as intellect and cognitive ability.’
I love tests, don’t get me wrong, but when you screen out temperament, don’t you also risk screening out passion? Believe me, my boss would rather have me and my sales numbers and have to put up with a guy who fights for his customers, rather than a bland little mouse who never gets aroused.
‘The interviewer does not need to be an expert in the candidate’s current field to conduct effective role-plays.’
Wrong ! I don’t ever want an engineer interviewing me on the finer points of sales. You can read about that disaster HERE.
The interviewer must be able to discern talent, not just ask questions and base his decision on a few simplistic questions. If the interviewer cannot get a gut feeling about the applicant, he’s of no use to the organization.
I, as a long time salesman, can spot a natural born salesman in a crowd. I can also spot someone who’ll struggle as a Wal-Mart door greeter.
I can also smell a Realtor a mile away, but that’s another post for another day.
For the most part, I like the post and think they did a great job. As a salesman, some of it would make me run, not walk, out of the interview process.
Several years ago, I went thru a 7 week process to get a sales job. The VP of Sales and I met, outside of their office, every week for golf, dinner and talk.
I watched him watch me eat. I watched him watch how I treated those that served us. I watched him watch me watch him.
When he hired me, only then did I ask him what he was looking for.
Well, he said, I wanted to see if you could use a knife and fork. I wanted to make sure you weren’t one of those people who complain about everything that happens in a restaurant and I wanted to see if you’d cheat at golf.
Here’s the tally :
Yes, even though I’m from Kentucky, I can use eating utensils ( if I have to ).
I never treat those that handle my food poorly. Never. Like I said, they’re handling your food.
I can play golf by the rules, if you want to. I can also beat you by whatever you want me to beat you by and you’ll never know how or where I did it.
And I’ve learned more by watching people watch me than most people will ever even know exists.
BTW – he was a helluva good boss, a helluva good salesman and he treated me very well.
To pay him back, I sold $18 million worth of product in 7 years and he bought a nice ( second ) home in Phoenix.
Go read the entire post and subscribe to their RSS feed. They’re that good.
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