Stop Hiring Sales Candidates Who Fail to Deliver

It happens so often: you interview someone and you think they’re perfect for the role, only to have them disappoint on performance and under-deliver on results. So how do you spot a sales candidate with a high-achievement factor from all the schmoozers?

These two types of professionals can be easy to spot, if you know what you’re looking for. For example, candidates with a high-achievement factor will almost always bring a portfolio (or something similar) to the interview. They’re ready to show their achievements and discuss them in relation to your company. They also love answering difficult questions. Whereas candidates lacking the desire of high achievement would break out in sweat over senior/behavioral questions, “high and drive” candidates with the desire to succeed have a degree of comfort answering questions like this and see it as an opportunity where they can shine.

One common mistake we see often is that lots of companies are hiring based on a certain profile that matches their customer. This typically leads to them hiring candidates based on their industry knowledge and experience. This isn’t bad, but in our eyes, just isn’t enough. Candidates need to not only demonstrate understanding of the industry, but also need to showcase non-teachable, innate characteristics. This is the key to the process and the difference between hiring someone who knows how to sell versus someone who will actually sell.

Also, remember that depending on the type of sales (transnactional vs. relational), this process may look different. For example, companies with long sale cycles and continuous customer interaction have to make sure the candidates they’re hiring will work to deliver even on their darkest days.