Sales Interviewing & Hiring Archives

You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

We cannot tell you how many times we have spoken to business owners and managers who hire star athletes or other big men on campus who would seem to have everything it takes to sell, only to have them wilt under the pressure of professional sales. The managers cannot understand why a star middle linebacker or the president of a fraternity cannot muster the same skill sets to deliver as a salesperson. Here is the problem. You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover was last modified: June 27th, 2013 by Dr. Chris Croner

Stop Hiring Sales Candidates Who Fail to Deliver

Gerhard Gschwandtner, publisher of “Selling Power Magazine,” recently interviewed Dr. Christopher Croner regarding testing and interviewing sales candidates. The interview covers a range of topics, including how high-Drive candidates handle the interview, the drawbacks of hiring based on industry experience alone and the importance of optimism in long sales cycles. The interview was released this week and you can watch it below. Watch Gerhard Gschwandtner’s interview with Dr. Croner here: Stop Hiring Sales Candidates Who Fail to Deliver Selling Power Dr. Christopher Croner, Principal, SalesDrive, LLC Runtime: 5:54 Stop Hiring Sales Candidates Who Fail to Deliver was last modified: October

Does a Technical Salesperson Need Drive?

Many sales managers hiring technical salespeople (for complex solution sales) place primary emphasis on the candidate’s technical expertise or industry knowledge. They may prioritize a technical background over sales experience or aptitude, thinking that they can always train sales skills later, and that a buyer would prefer a low-key “consultant” to a high-drive salesperson. So, the sales manager at a manufacturing company, for example, may look for someone with an engineering background to fill an account acquisition role. To be sure, buyers enjoy dealing with salespeople who know their industry well and are adept at answering questions. However, the

The High Stakes of Hiring a Salesperson

We have received a lot of feedback on our earlier column about the cost of hiring sales candidates who ultimately do not produce to our expectations. Most of the feedback was that we UNDERESTIMATED the cost. We therefore consolidated what we heard and here is how many hiring managers gauge the problem: Cost of advertising for the position Time and cost for resume review Time and cost for phone screens Time and cost for multiple interviews Time and cost for internal and external training Extra time managing problem employee(s) Extra time managing client damage control Difference between poor salesperson’s production

My Candidate Was a Star Athlete, Will He or She be a Good Salesperson?

Sales managers often look for candidates with an athletic background, particularly when candidates have limited sales experience. A former football or basketball player is likely high in competitiveness, the reasoning goes, and would therefore perform well in sales. Although competitiveness is a critical element of Drive, sales managers need to be careful when interviewing former athletes. Here is why . . . We need to ask ourselves an important question . . . Was the sales candidate’s athletic success because of his initiative only, or did he have a coach pushing him to get out and practice each day? If

Sales Interviewing & Hiring

The Magic Wand Question

“Why did you leave your last job?” It is a question nearly every hiring manager asks, and with good reason. Since the best predictor of future behavior is previous behavior, it is important to know what kind of environment and mindset your candidate is coming from. Is your candidate going to be brutally honest, unusually vague or even downright make up an answer on the spot? Some answers may affirm your confidence in their future with your company, while other answers may send up immediate red flags. As an interviewer, one of your most critical jobs is making sure you

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You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

Stop Hiring Sales Candidates Who Fail to Deliver

Does a Technical Salesperson Need Drive?

The High Stakes of Hiring a Salesperson

My Candidate Was a Star Athlete, Will He or She be a Good Salesperson?

The Magic Wand Question