| Candidate screening is one of the most difficult tasks | | | | person tick. Since few colleges have "sales" as a |
| that recruiters and managers face. Most will tell you | | | | major, it is always interesting to find how someone |
| that screening sales talent is the toughest of all. Why? | | | | arrived at a sales career. "Of all of the careers you |
| Sales people are trained in the art of persuasion. They | | | | could select, why did you pick sales?" |
| know how to provide the desired responses to the | | | | The hot topic in today's recruiting world is behavioral |
| questions. Even more daunting is when you are | | | | interviewing which is a powerful tool. Behavioral |
| interviewing sales people that worked for a competitor. | | | | interviewing, also called competency-based |
| These sales people know the language and industry | | | | interviewing, focuses on past behavior. As a doctor |
| buzz words making it even more challenging to screen | | | | friend of mine always says, the best predictor of |
| them. Fret not! It is possible to successfully screen | | | | future behavior is past behavior. The idea here is not |
| sales talent, but there is work to be done before you | | | | to ask arbitrary questions, but rather to ask questions |
| even look at a résumé. | | | | that help to expose areas that affect the sales |
| The most important step a company can take is to | | | | marriage. If your company is always changing, you |
| develop a sales talent screening program. This helps | | | | might want to determine how the candidate handles |
| bring focus to the initiative. The mission of this program | | | | change. "Please share with me a time where you had |
| is to provide data that allows for the measurement of | | | | to adapt to change." Like with any good interview, |
| the candidate pedigree versus the desired profile. Think | | | | additional probing is necessary to get to the root of the |
| in terms of formulating a marriage, a sales marriage, | | | | issue. "How did you deal with that? What did you learn |
| that is. | | | | from the experience?" |
| This program should be fully documented showing | | | | You can probably imagine just how hard it is to |
| step-by-step the components of the screening | | | | formulate questions that demonstrate if this marriage |
| program. It is best to define who will be interviewing | | | | will work if you don't have a profile against which to |
| the candidates and their role in the interview process. It | | | | compare. If it will help you, send me an email and I'll |
| should define the tools that will be used as well as their | | | | send you my favorite 28 standard questions when |
| purpose. Below are seven key components of an | | | | interviewing a sales person. |
| effective sales talent screening program. | | | | 5. Mock Sales Call. What better way to see if |
| 1. Ideal Sales Person Profile. It has always surprised me | | | | someone fits into your company's selling environment |
| how many companies have fully documented profiles | | | | than to put them right in it! To do this effectively, you |
| of their ideal client. Yet, few have a profile of their ideal | | | | need to create a scenario for the candidate. I've found |
| sales person. How can you screen when you don't | | | | it most beneficial to give the candidate the scenario |
| know for what you are screening? Many of you have | | | | with one day's notice so they can prepare. They |
| a clear picture in mind of the profile of your ideal mate. | | | | should be provided with the same amount of |
| My bet is most of your close friends can rattle off | | | | information a sales person in your company normally |
| your profile in a heartbeat. The same principle applies | | | | has before making an initial sales call. |
| to sales talent. If you don't know exactly what you are | | | | Those members of your company who participate in |
| looking for, how will you find it? | | | | the exercise should be somewhat scripted. I say |
| This profile should be fully detailed. Some of the areas | | | | "somewhat" because you don't want it to be so dry |
| to address in the profile are the experience you | | | | that it is unrealistic, but without any scripting it can be |
| expect that candidate to already have, the skills that | | | | hard to stay in character. |
| the candidate should already possess, and the skills | | | | The last piece you need to do this well is a score |
| you are not willing to teach. Truth is, this is an | | | | sheet. Know what you are looking to measure in the |
| extensive topic about which I have dedicated another | | | | process and score accordingly. Can they conduct a |
| article. (Send me an email and I'll send you a link to that | | | | thorough needs analysis? Did they identify the |
| article.) | | | | challenges faced by this prospect? Would you buy |
| The lack of a fully-defined profile of the ideal sales | | | | from them? |
| person is the most common cause of bad sales | | | | It is best if the scoring is done by a non-participant of |
| marriages. It is also the major point of frustration | | | | the mock sales call. It is very distracting for the |
| between sales managers and recruiters. Recruiters | | | | candidate if someone jots notes while they are |
| often tell me that they feel they are throwing darts | | | | speaking. What happens is that the candidate spends |
| while blindfolded because they have so little detail | | | | the rest of the exercise trying to read what was |
| about the desired profile. | | | | written. |
| 2. Always Be Recruiting. In sales, there is an old | | | | 6. Online Assessment Testing. There are a myriad of |
| expression. "The toughest time to make a sale is | | | | tools that are very helpful in the screening process for |
| when you really need one." The same holds true for | | | | both personality and skill. Where some err is in the |
| recruiting. When a slot is open on the sales team, it | | | | application of the data from these tools. Few, if any, of |
| becomes an all hands on deck exercise to fill it. While | | | | the online assessment companies suggest that their |
| the seat is open, revenue targets are in jeopardy. This | | | | tool should be used to make a hire/no hire decision. |
| leads many to forget the profile of the ideal sales | | | | The most appropriate application is to treat it as an |
| person profile in the interest of filling a seat. Playing this | | | | additional data point in the sales talent screening |
| forward a bit, the seat becomes vacant again a short | | | | program. |
| time later when either side determines that it is not a | | | | Linda Moeller, Product Director of market leader |
| good fit. | | | | Employee Continuum, has seen companies use this |
| Sales recruiting is a year-round exercise. The best | | | | great tool incorrectly. "We have seen many |
| sales forces are always on the look out for strong | | | | organizations fail to take the context of an organization |
| sales talent. Find a company that identifies a strong | | | | into account when deciding the most appropriate |
| candidate that meets their profile who wouldn't find a | | | | assessment to use. For example, many organizations |
| way to hire this individual. It is a rarity to say the least. | | | | assume that implementing a sales assessment will |
| Sales teams have turnover either driven by the | | | | guarantee them improved sales performers. This is not |
| company or the employee. It is best to have a | | | | necessarily the case. For example, the personality |
| candidate portfolio at the ready than to begin a | | | | characteristics required for a sales person selling office |
| process of surfacing candidates when a seat is open. | | | | supplies to purchasing agents are very different than |
| Poor hiring decisions are made out of desperation to fill | | | | those required for a salesperson selling everything |
| a seat. The open seat is a cost to the company every | | | | needed for a dentist office. In order to be successful, |
| day it is unfilled. Yet, the cost is more painful if the seat | | | | an organization needs to consider the type of |
| is filled by someone who doesn't fit. | | | | relationship they have with their clientele and the |
| 3. Reverse Interviewing. Since the intent of the | | | | competencies that will make these relationships |
| process is for both sides to be able to determine if a | | | | successful." |
| marriage should be formulated, a wonderful technique | | | | 7. The Ultimate Screening Tool. Writing is a lost art. |
| is reverse interviewing. This is an interview performed | | | | Yet, we are more dependent on written |
| by a member of the sales team who would be a peer | | | | communication than ever before. Email! Is there |
| if the candidate was hired. It is important that the | | | | anything worse than a poorly written email that is sent |
| individual(s) selected to participate in this step are loyal | | | | to a prospect? It doesn't matter how good your |
| to the company, knowledgeable, and make a | | | | product or service is, your company now looks sloppy |
| favorable impression. However, the "interviewer" does | | | | and unprofessional. |
| not ask any questions of the candidate. As you know, | | | | An effective technique for screening sales talent is the |
| it is very easy to get yourself in hot water if illegal | | | | use of the mini-business plan. When the candidate has |
| questions are asked. Thus, you don't want untrained | | | | satisfactorily completed all of the other steps of the |
| people asking questions. There are two purposes of | | | | pre-offer process, the request is made for a one-page |
| this component of the sales talent screening program. | | | | business plan that shows how they would approach |
| The first is to provide the candidate with an | | | | the job. I mention three times that I'm only looking for a |
| opportunity to ask questions of someone who would | | | | one-page plan and ask when they can send it to me. It |
| be their peer if they were to be hired. In essence, it is a | | | | is important that the submission date be asked of the |
| way for them to get a picture of a day in the life of | | | | candidate, not the other way around as you will see in |
| this job. | | | | a moment. |
| The second purpose is to measure how the candidate | | | | Of all of the techniques that I have used over the |
| prepares for a sales call. A debrief is conducted with | | | | years, this is the one where I have the most candidate |
| the "reverse interviewer" to see what questions were | | | | fall out and I was always happy to learn that this sales |
| asked. If the candidate took advantage of this | | | | marriage wouldn't work, before it was formulated. |
| opportunity, they brought prepared, insightful questions | | | | This technique allows you to evaluate a number of |
| and wrote down answers. If they didn't, what kind of | | | | important areas: |
| preparation will the candidate do for a sales call? How | | | | § Can they communicate in written form |
| interested are they really in this job? Every once in a | | | | coherently? If you were a client receiving this |
| while, a candidate will ask a question of the sales | | | | document, what message do you get about its |
| person like, "Can you take off at noon on Fridays?" | | | | author? |
| Needless to say, the lapse in judgment raises a red | | | | § Do they understand what the role entails? Since |
| flag of concern? | | | | this component is performed late in the process, they |
| 4. Standard Interview Questions. Often times, many | | | | should have a clear picture of the job and |
| candidates are screened for one job slot. This creates | | | | expectations. |
| a need to be able to compare candidates to each | | | | § Is their approach consistent with the |
| other, in addition to the profile. To do this, a standard | | | | expectations of management? It is best to know now |
| set of interview questions are needed. The responses | | | | if you don't feel comfortable with their game plan. |
| are documented during the interview and reviewed | | | | § Can they meet a self-imposed deadline? If the |
| after a candidate leaves the office. These questions | | | | plan is late, the candidate is no longer considered for |
| are not designed to provide right or wrong answers. | | | | the role. |
| They are designed to see if this candidate's thought | | | | § Can they follow directions? I asked for a |
| process is congruent with the needs of your business | | | | one-pager, not an epic. |
| and with the profile of the ideal sales person. | | | | Having a sales talent screening program has many |
| When formulating your list of standard questions, it is | | | | benefits. The most obvious impact is a longer sales |
| helpful to include some sales scenarios that are | | | | tenure of your sales team which means an increase in |
| common in your environment. "Your client balks at the | | | | sales performance and a reduction in personnel |
| price of your proposal. What do you do?" It is also | | | | turnover. This can do nothing short of helping the |
| helpful to have questions that show what makes this | | | | bottom line of any company. |