10 Steps to Getting the Ideal Sales Candidate to Work for You

Why should you have to settle for your second or third choice when you wanted to hire your first choice?  You shouldn’t!

But it frequently happens and the reasons shouldn’t surprise you.  Sales Managers incorrectly recruit in much the same way that their salespeople incorrectly sell – by presenting too early in the process.  As a result, they recruit from a position of weakness rather than strength, and create the appearances of a buyer-seller relationship.  Only in this case, the salesperson is the buyer and in the position of strength.   Once a relationship like that has been established, acceptance comes down to whether you can pay enough, guarantee enough, and provide acceptable benefits.   It is no different than when your salespeople present and propose too early, chase the business, and get forced into a price lowering competition.

How can you change this?

Process and hoops matter.

Hoop #1 – Candidates must apply on line – make them send their resume.

Hoop #2 – You must assess all of your candidates early in the process. (Sales specific, customized assessment that will accurately predict success selling into your market with its specific challenges)

Hoop #3 – A Short Phone Interview where you can challenge the candidates that were recommended by the assessment and make sure they qualify on required experiences.

Hoop #4 – A face-to-face (or video conference call) interview for the top scoring candidates after their phone calls.  This simply provides an opportunity to further challenge the candidate.

Hoop #5 – This is a second interview for the candidates you want to hire.  At this point, they WANT the job, they’ve worked hard to impress you, they’ve jumped through 5 hoops, been consistently challenged and are emotionally invested in the process.  For your part, you know exactly what you are getting, where they came from and why they will succeed in your business.  Now, and only now, are you ready to present.  Only this time, you are in the position of strength, you are the buyer, you are in control.

The key now is to hold this final interview in such a way that you present the company, the position, and the opportunity in such a way that the candidate wants to work for you.  How can you do that?

1. Introduce your mission, purpose and core values – why the company exists, what it does, who you do it for, and what the results have been.
2. Explain in detail how their specific experiences will help them succeed at various aspects of this position.
3. Explain how this position is most like the job they most enjoyed and least like the job they disliked the most.
4. Discuss the opportunity – for success, for growth, for achievement.
5. Discuss compensation – how you’ll subsidize them with a low-risk salary during ramp-up, integrate commission as they approach break-even, and transition to a high-reward commission program after break-even.
6. Ask them who they have discussed this difficult interview process with and what they’ve talked about.
7. Ask why they want the position.
8. Ask why they believe they will succeed.
9. Appeal to them – tell them how much it would mean to you if they joined the company.
10. Offer the job.

If you follow the steps outlined above, you will nearly always get your salesperson!