8 years ago
April 13, 2016

Sales Hiring Process Part 2: 5 “Don’ts” for Better Hiring

To continue with my sales hiring blog from last Monday, here are a few things to avoid in your sales hiring process.

Rhys Metler

To continue with my sales hiring blog post from last Monday, here are a few things to avoid in your sales hiring process:

1) Don’t accept quota attainment at face value

Yes, of course it is important that the person you are considering hiring has been successful before and has a history of hitting their quota.  I’m not arguing that.  What I’m saying is just don’t make the mistake of assuming that because a person hit their targets in their last job, that they’ll hit their quota with you.  Do management style, work environment, culture, etc. match up?  If in their last role they worked from home with complete autonomy and you’re considering bringing them into a heavily managed environment that may not work out.

2) Don’t forget to ask about value proposition

A great salesperson to should be able to articulate the value proposition of their current and previous role.   If they can’t this is more than a red flag.   Being convincing, well spoken and concise when describing your value proposition is arguably the greatest skill a top performer will have.  And you can assess this quite quickly during an interview by asking this single question. 

3) Don’t forget to take the time to do formalized assessments

Having prospective candidates complete an assessment on behaviours, motivators and selling skills will help you in your efforts to distinguish between who is a great sales person versus who is simply a great interviewer.

4) Don’t hire based on personality

Fit is an important factor and yes, personality is very important, but just because you like someone doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll hit their sales targets and add value to your company.   Make sure that personality isn’t the top factor in making your hiring decision.  It may sound obvious but a lot of people do it.

5) Don’t hire your clone (at least not all of the time)

We have a natural tendency to surround ourselves with people that are similar to us.  But hiring someone that has a different background, education, and brings a different way of thinking to the table may make your sales team stronger.   Having people with a different approach and a different way of thinking will help your sales team come up with innovative ways of solving problems and creating value.

Rhys Metler

Rhys is a tenacious, top performing Senior Sales Recruiter with 15+ years of focused experience in the Digital Media, Mobile, Software, Technology and B2B verticals. He has a successful track record of headhunting top performing sales candidates for some of the most exciting brands in North America. He is a Certified Recruitment Specialist (CRS) and has expert experience in prospecting new business, client retention/renewals and managing top performing sales and recruitment teams. Rhys enjoys spending quality time with his wife, son, and daughters, BBQing on a hot summer day and tropical vacations.

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