Sniffing out Sales Stars
October 13, 2006
Tips for recruiting and hiring top sellers
By Julia Chang
With corporate emphasis having shifted from cost cutting to revenue generation, more companies are looking for sales stars wherever they can find them—by using recruiters, reaching out to other industries or scoping out the competition. While there is never a surefire guarantee that the rep you're trying to woo is an A player, here are some tips to increase the chances that you?re finding and hiring star sellers.
Refer-A-Rep
The best salespeople are the ones who already have jobs, so it might take a little detective work—and persuasiveness—to find and attract top sellers who aren?t looking to move. The best source is probably to "Go to your high performers and ask for suggestions. They tend to know people in other industries and companies," says Joe DiMisa, Atlanta-based senior vice president and head of the sales and marketing practice at Sibson Consulting. Another great source? Customers, says Steve Waterhouse, president of the Waterhouse Group, a sales consulting firm based in Orange Park, Fla. "Call clients and ask them, 'Who is calling on you and trying to sell against us? Who's good?'"
Cast a Net
Your Rolodex is always a good place to start when seeking new sellers. If you belong to a professional organization, the officers may be able to suggest sales candidates among their membership ranks. Trade shows have also emerged as a place to scope out talent, Waterhouse says. "[Trade shows] are great because the competition is right across the hall," he says. "You have a high probability of running into people who are a good match for you."
Look Inside
In industries where a lot of technical expertise is required, knowledge could trump actual sales experience. For instance, in the medical industry, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals who've used medical equipment first-hand can recount their real-world experiences, and often have instant credibility from the peers on whom they are calling. In technology, take advantage of an engineer who shows good people skills. If you don?t do so already, send him on some sales calls to educate prospects on the specifics of a product so that he can also observe the non-technical aspects of a client pitch.
Take a Team Interviewing Approach
Managers shouldn't try to go it alone when it comes to choosing new hires. Seeing the complete picture of a rep's potential requires second opinions. Get input from other staffers—top performers, fellow managers, even the receptionist who fields job hunters' initial inquiries—who can provide insight into your potential hires? character and abilities. Everyone should play a different role, focusing on a specific aspect of the candidate. For example, one person can try to gauge sales skills; another, the candidate's demeanor; another can try to discover his abilities to work independently or in teams. "Then you can discuss different pieces of the puzzle," DiMisa says. "It cuts down the [chance] of making a mistake and will help you weed out [poor candidates to find] your next star performer."
Assess Yourself
Typically, hiring assessments are used to figure out whether a salesperson fits the mold. But it doesn't hurt for managers to take an assessment, too, so they can determine whether they are a good management fit for the candidate. When Dominica Recreation Products, a Longwood, Fla.?based company that sells park equipment, started its hiring process, executives took personality tests to assess whether candidates (who also took the tests) would be compatible with them. As a family-owned company, executives had to make sure their management styles and corporate culture would be good fits for potential reps, says Jim Budke, Dominica Recreation?s field sales manager.
Go Beyond the Résumé
How a sales rep looks on paper is not always an indicator of how he does in the field. Behavioral interviewing and trial runs are starting to become more common in the pre-screening process, says Jeff Burwinkle, general manager of the sales optimization practice at Development Dimensions International (DDI), a talent-management consultancy headquartered in Pittsburgh. "People are being asked to come in and give a presentation or do an exercise" before senior executives, he says. Aaron Hudy, vice president of sales for Toshiba America Medical Systems, a medical-imaging equipment manufacturer based in Tustin, Calif., likes to ask candidates how they solved specific management problems. "It's more about drawing from the candidate's personal experience," Hudy says. "I try to stay away from the hypotheticals to see what did they do in the situation, versus what would they do."
In addition, it's always a good idea to unearth why a rep left his last job. Those mostly driven by money, for instance, may leave your firm as soon as they get a better offer elsewhere. But those who also mention non-monetary motivators, such as recognition, work/life balance, stability or corporate culture, are more likely to maintain a longer tenure.
For more tips on how to recruit and hire star sellers, read Desperately Seeking Sales Stars.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
|
|
RSS
