Why Performance-Based Recruiting Produces Top Sales Performers
by Alan Rigg
Published on this site: July 8th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month...
Many recruiting ads and job descriptions include "knockout
factors" that can actually screen out QUALIFIED sales
candidates. One example is a requirement that candidates have
an undergraduate degree, a graduate degree, or a degree in
a specialized field of study such as Engineering. Another
example is a requirement that candidates have a minimum number
of years of sales experience.
When my customers' recruiting ads and job descriptions include
these types of knockout factors, I like to have a little fun
with them. I say something like:
- "(Name), imagine that I have two candidates for your
sales job opening. One of them has both the college degree
and the five years of sales experience that are listed as
minimum requirements in your recruiting ad. The other candidate
doesn't have a college degree, and she only has two years
of sales experience. But, she has relationships with DOZENS
of C-level executives that are good prospects for your company's
products and services. She could easily book FIFTEEN APPOINTMENTS
during her first week on the job. Which candidate would
you prefer?"
As you might expect, my customers always choose the candidate
with the relationships. That is when I have to deliver the
bad news:
- "(Name), unfortunately you will never see this candidate,
because she is being screened out by your knockout factors!"
If you want to improve the overall quality of your sales
candidate pool, shift your focus AWAY from education and
experience and TOWARD performance-based measures. How will
you measure your new salespeople's performance during their
first thirty, sixty, ninety, and 180 days? What ACTIVITIES
will you expect them to perform? What RESULTS will you expect
these
activities to produce, and in what TIME FRAME?
Here is an outline for a recruiting process that focuses
on performance-based factors:
- Write a Performance-Based Recruiting Ad: As you construct
your ad, consider the following questions:
* What kinds of companies or organizations are good prospects
for your company's products and services? Your ad should
state a preference for job candidates that have existing
relationships with these kinds of companies and organizations.
* Who are the most productive people (job titles) for your
salespeople to call on? Your ad should state a preference
for candidates that have existing relationships with people
that have these titles, and/or a proven ability to prospect
successfully to people at similar levels.
* What specific sales production (such as pipeline dollar
volume, sales dollar volume, etc.) do you expect your new
salespeople to produce during their first 90 days? Make
this expectation crystal clear in your recruiting ad!
- Scrutinize Resumes for Accomplishments:
Smart salespeople know that RESULTS SELL. When these salespeople
prospect, they talk to potential prospects about the results
their companies have produced for customers. When they write
resumes, they write about the results they have produced
and their other accomplishments (awards, recognition, etc.).
- Conduct Telephone Screening Calls:
For candidates that have interesting resumes, schedule a
20-30 minute telephone screening call. This will give you
an opportunity to ask performance-based questions related
to two critical performance factors: the candidate's RELATIONSHIPS
and their PROSPECTING ACTIVITIES. Here are sample screening
call questions:
* Who do you know that might be a prospect for our company's
products and services?
* What relationships do you have that could be leveraged
for
appointments during your first few weeks on the job?
* What activities do you typically include in your prospecting
plan?
* What percentage of your time do you spend on each activity?
* What results have these activities produced for you in
the past?
* How long did it take before you started making quota consistently
in your current job?
- Assess Qualified Candidates:
For candidates that pass the telephone screen, gather OBJECTIVE
information about their talents via specialized sales assessment
tests. The most effective sales assessment tests go beyond
personality and behavioral traits and examine attributes
such as Learning Rate and Reasoning Ability.
- Conduct In-Person Interviews:
Now you are prepared to conduct thorough, performance-based
interviews. Why? Look at the information you have collected!
For each candidate that you are going to interview, you
should have in your hands:
* A resume that lists key ACCOMPLISHMENTS
* PERFORMANCE-BASED information collected during a telephone
screening call
* OBJECTIVE information about talents critical to sales
success
If you ask performance-based questions and clearly outline
your expectations for new hire sales performance, you will
attract FEWER POOR CANDIDATES, as some will de-select themselves.
You will also attract MORE STRONG CANDIDATES, as they will
no longer be screened out by invalid "knockout factors".
The end result will be a steady improvement in the overall
quality of your sales organization
Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20
Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don't Perform and What
to Do About It. His company, 80/20 Performance Inc., supplies
specialized sales assessment tests and consulting to help
organizations build top-performing sales teams. For more sales
and sales management tips, visit: http://www.8020performance.com
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