He says, she says: Identify Selling Skills during Sales Recruiting

Danita Bye and Todd Anderson

Growth—the eternal quest for most businesses—requires more revenue, more sales, and therefore more pressure on sales management. Perhaps the most fundamental challenge facing sales management is hiring the right salespeople to meet revenue and margin objectives.

New-hire turnover within the first year ranges from 25 to 50 percent, according to Minneapolis-based Schall Executive Search Partners. That’s a double whammy in wasted money and delayed growth. Two Twin Cities sales-management consultants — Danita Bye, Medina-based Sales Growth Specialists principal, and Todd Anderson, president of Edina-based 10,000 Foot View — share their views about how to avoid hiring pitfalls.

What is the most fundamental requirement in the Sales Recruiting Process?

DB: The first step is to identify the requirements of the sale. If a company positions itself as a price leader, someone who sells on price is ideal. For a value proposition, a salesperson who can craft a business solution selling at higher margins is required. Also, some salespeople are successful with technical decision makers, while others do best with C-level decision makers.

TA: I caution clients against trying to duplicate the traits of a specific successful salesperson. Avoid zeroing in on what you believe is the single most important trait.

What is the biggest mistake sales recruiters can make?

DB: Fixating on a candidate’s ability to bond. The interviewer mistakes a warm, engaging personality for the ability to perform. Plus, the interviewer fails to explore the more critical underlying sales beliefs that can either support or sabotage a candidate’s sales performance.

Compromising the position’s requirements is another widespread mistake. Don’t accept the best candidate at the time even if the candidate doesn’t meet the criteria.

TA: A limited understanding of what is being sold. For instance, getting too hung up on the technical specs of a technology product, when, in fact, the focus should be on the value of the entire customer experience. This may include service packages, time to implementation and return on investment.

Companies tend to rush the hiring process because of pressure to fill slots and build the revenue pipeline. If you compromise the process, the results can be costly.

What is the best practice for identifying good salespeople?

TA: Look for internal energy — a strong desire to succeed. Candidates with internal energy learn by themselves to remove obstacles. Bear in mind, though, that a strong display of external energy doesn’t automatically guarantee internal energy. However, it is a prerequisite. You have to spend some time asking good questions to find out where the candidate’s natural energy resides and find out what really gets them in gear.

DB: Make sure the candidate has four key qualities: First, an incredible desire to be successful in sales. Secondly,they must have an unconditional commitment to being successful. Third, the candidate takes personal responsibility for success in sales performance and does not offer excuses for failure. And finally, a positive outlook about him or herself, the industry, and what he or she is doing enables the candidate to take risks, combat objections and counter negative energies.

Why do good sales candidates fail?

TA: Lack of alignment between a candidate’s belief system and the candidate understands of the company’s culture and the position’s expectations.

DB: Sometimes the right person fails, because sales management hasn’t identified expectations or provided a good quick-start program to bring him or her up to speed. A proper Sales Coaching program is essential.

How can companies improve their sales hiring track record?

DB: The best way to improve hiring effectiveness in sales is to define the work and the sales processes that the position entails and identify the characteristics that are essential for success.

TA: Use objective sales assessment tools that provide a complete picture of candidates you are seriously considering.

For more information you are welcome to get Danita’s eBook: Measuring Sales DNA

Bio: Danita Bye

Nationally recognized sales management and leadership expert Danita Bye built her reputation on building and inspiring process-oriented, no excuse, high-performance sales teams that deliver bottom line results. With her unique Fortune-100-turned-entrepreneur perspective, Danita helps CEOs and company presidents take their businesses to the next level. Her practical, no-nonsense approach to sales management, combined with her leadership acumen, enables sales leadership to increase sales, creating predictable revenue streams.

As a 10-year veteran of the Xerox Corporation, Danita consistently achieved award winning sales performance before leaving to become an equity partner and national sales manager for a Minneapolis-based medical device company. In this capacity, she increased annual revenues from $300,000 to a run rate of $20 million in just ten years.

Danita has authored numerous articles on sales management and leadership. In addition, she was a featured as a sales development expert on the TV show, “The Ruthless Entrepreneur,” which is currently airing on the Oxygen Network. Leadership Shift, Management Acceleration and a library of eBooks on critical sales management issues are available on the Sales Growth Specialists’ website.

Danita can be reached at Danita@SalesGrowthSpecialists.com, 612-267-3320 or 800-256-2799.

For more insights on Sales Strategy and Sales Process, visit www.SalesGrowthSpecialists.com.