Four Easy Things To Do To Attract High
Performance Sales Talent During the 1st Interview
Before sitting down with your first sales interview, review these four easy actions and you will be on your way to better interviews, quality sales hires and a highly productive interview process. It’s easier to capture the attention of the average sales producer, but to catch a heavy hitter; you need to bring your best effort to the first interview each and every time. Building a high performance sales team will depend on your ability to attract top salespeople.
Strategy #1: Remember to exhibit passion for the services or products your company sells; never speak negatively about the business, industry or your competitors. Clearly articulate your organization’s competitive advantages, value proposition and company sales culture.
Strategy #2: Tell it like it is…really! Discuss the challenges of the sales opportunity upfront, not only will your new hire respect you more, they will be more likely to face these challenges with a problem solving mentality than if they felt surprised or deceived by these obstacles.
Strategy #3: Responsiveness, competence, professionalism, connection and overall style are quickly evaluated by sales reps looking for a new sales manager. Embody and demonstrate these characteristics and salespeople will want to be a part of your winning team. Remember that ‘like attracts like.’
Strategy #4: Spend most of your time listening and asking good questions. Do your homework on the candidate’s background ahead of time and take good notes during the interview. If you spend the whole time talking, your potential rep may become disinterested. The conversation should flow and ideally become a discussion rather than a monologue. If the candidate comes out of the meeting and you have spent the entire time talking, they will notice. It will be more difficult to get them back for a second interview because they will feel like you didn’t learn anything about them. The prevailing question in the candidate’s mind becomes, “On what basis is the sales manager determining that a second interview is warranted? I didn’t even get to say anything!” Don’t leave this as your lasting impression.
Even if you are more of an intuitive decision maker and conclude in the first five minutes of the conversation that this person isn’t a fit, you should still discipline yourself to employ these four simple steps. The interviewee deserves your undivided attention for the predetermined time period even if they are not a perfect fit. Who knows, maybe down the road they will become a referral partner, introduce you to a new blue-chip client or even show up at your next employer! Review these four items and keep them top of mind during your sales interview process and you will make a lasting positive impression on everyone you meet and you even might even land your next heavy hitter!
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