Finding Mr. Right

D ustNsss owNERS, sales managers, I)and G.M.'s tell me, "James, we are looking to hire a salesperson. What we want is a guylgal in his mid-thirties, preferably with a family (we like a guy who has responsibilities-married guys and gals with kids and a mortgage are ersier to motivzte. We all know what single guys are thinking about, and none of us has any idea what single women are thinking about! ). own personal leadership filter (I only want the emotionally stable) on top of this natural selection, it will narrow the field of candidates even more.

"We want him to have a book of business that doesn't conflict with any of our current account assignments. We want him to be a guy who doesn't rock the boat. We want him to be able to fit into our culture. And, please, no baggage, drugs, alcohol,family problems, personal emotional issues, etc.

Growing a sales force will be challenging enough. Your company culture and values are important. But don't confuse them with your personal preferences. Make sure that your requirements are based on performance and results and less on your personal desires or prejudices. (And give them a hug for crying in the sink!)

Budget for Growth

Companies that are unrealistic in terms of hire date, speed to profitability, and that do not budget accordingly will have inconsistent growth. Companies that are great at sales growth:

. Budget statistically. They budget realistically for the success/failure rate for sales hires.

. Are realistic in time to profitability forecasting. Have great training programs.

"Signing bonus? We don't wont to pay him a signing bonus-I told you no prima donnas-sheesh, are you listening? We've got guys that are currently working for us who do his numbers. We didn't pay them signing bonuses. That's a big riskfor us. What if he doesn't work out? Besides, what does he need a signing bonus for? If he is that good, he'll make that money when he comes to work for us. Because we do - better than where he is now, when he starts to sell -, his commissions will pay for his move, right? "

The above expectations are restrictive. I know hundreds of salespeople and 95Vo of them don't fit the above description. How we are going to grow their business based on finding an almost perfect candidate? This is as untenable as the salesperson who will only open "perfect" accounts; l/ just does not work as a sales growth strateqy.

It is one-sided. Salespeople who have built a following at one company take a big risk when they move. They leave behind a competitor with intimate knowledge of-and an established relationship with-their clients. No matter their talent, they will be in for the fight of their sales lives when they move.

Is Mr. Right out there? Yes. In fact, one of the main responsibilities of sales management is to be on the lookout for talented salespeople who want to change companies for any reason. But this cannot be the only part of the strategy. It is too inconsistent.

Your Foibles # Gompany Values

I have a client who does not like serving the emotional needs of his sales team. Heck, he thinks it's unprofessional to even bring such things up at work. I tell him that sales has its own brutal natural selection and that if he puts his

. Hire slowly-multiple interviews with multiple levels in the organization. Potential hires speak with different salespeople and leaders within the organization. Fire quickly. They have a plan and patience, but if the salesperson just can't do it,then they cut the cord quickly.

. Fire the unproductive. If unproductive salespeople are not fired, there is no budget for new blood.

Look for and Hire Attitude

The two most important ingredients of the successful salesperson are empathy and the will to conquer/win (Mayer and Herbert Harvard Business Journal 2006). Do not confuse empathy with likability or you will end up with a sales force that wants to be liked more than it wants to win.

Business experience is helpful, " but more important than product knowledge is people knowledge. Knowledgeable information dispensers will be overwhelmingly outsold by empathetic sellers with a killer instinct.

James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) s44-3s72 james @realitysalestraining.com

sBlRaminen

Dennis Connelly