As in any field of endeavor, we can often raise our game as hiring managers by practicing the rules we have learned in other areas of life. Here are three key life lessons as applied to the challenging, but rewarding, discipline of hiring high-potential salespeople. 3 Life Lessons Applied to Hiring Salespeople was last modified: February 6th, 2014 by SalesDrive, LLC

One of the most important tasks facing interviewers is the need to probe candidate responses effectively. The candidate across the table is wearing a filter designed to make him seem as desirable as possible. Of course, our job is to penetrate that filter. To do so, we need to probe deeper into the candidate’s responses to our initial questions. For example, consider this exchange: INTERVIEWER: “Tell me about a situation you have faced that required strong organizational skills.” CANDIDATE: “Oh, just last week, we had a presentation to a big prospect . . . there was a lot of preparation

Tips for Getting to the Truth in Interviews Drive is composed of three non-teachable—after adulthood—characteristics: Need for Achievement, Competitiveness and Optimism. These traits, when combined, allow a salesperson to sustain high performance over time in an environment of extreme competition and rejection . . . things that eventually grind down non-Driven salespeople.  Drive: The Most Important Innate Characteristic in Salespeople, But, Easy to Fake in a Job Interview was last modified: November 21st, 2013 by SalesDrive, LLC

Relationship skills are critical for high-performing salespeople, whether they are in account acquisition or account maintenance roles.  Many companies look for candidates who can start producing very quickly.  Whether they are cold calling a new account or managing a demanding current client, the best salespeople are skilled at making emotional connections that last a lifetime.  One of the most important aspects of doing so is dealing with difficult customers.  To gauge a candidate’s ability to do so, we can ask one key question . . . Can My Candidate Handle Difficult Customers? was last modified: October 31st, 2013 by SalesDrive,