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Today I want to speak to managers. In the past few months, my clients have located a good number of salespeople who have joined our industry. I've helped with finding them and with the selection process. Believe me when I say you have to kiss a lot of toad frogs to find a prince (or princess). I'm always amazed, and appalled, at how some applicants show up for interviews....if they show up at all!
The 80/20 rule applies to salespeople as it does to most things. 20% of our sales staffs account for 80% of our revenue. They are our A+ players and we pray for a long, healthy life for them and that they may continue to be a part of our team.
Good managers are always looking for the next star, even when their staffs appear to be full. They are always recruiting, looking for the one in a million. As we go through the interview path, how do we identify the great ones? If your experience has been like mine, top performers come in many shapes, sizes, genders and social styles.
There are some characteristics that all great sellers have in common. When I see these traits emerging in interviews, my heart starts beating a bit faster. I hire the "I" and train the "R". The "I" is a person's identity. It is who they really are. The "R", the role of the salesperson, can be trained. The "I" will remain, and if it isn't strong, it will limit the person's ability to succeed in their role.
What do I look for?
How does the person organize their day? Are they list-makers? Do they plan days or weeks ahead? What device do they use to manage their schedules? Great salespeople are well-organized. They are planners. They are list-makers.
Can the person self-manage? One of the best things about radio sales is the amount of freedom we have. One of the worst things about radio sales is the amount of freedom we have. No one is standing over the seller 8 hours a day. Call reports can be fudged (OK, who out there has NOT fudged one?) The great sellers make a plan and work the plan. Every day.
Does the person have what I call the "Olympic Athletes Syndrome"? Are they competitive not just with their teammates but also with their own numbers? Truly great sellers are always working to beat their own numbers. They must have "A's". They will do whatever it takes to hit and exceed their goals. Which leads us to the next thing I look for...
Are they driven? Truly driven? Will they take that hill no matter the cost? That internal drive cannot be taught. You either have it or you don't. Hire salespeople who have it.
Can they focus? Every day presents many opportunities to lose focus on your work plan. A few sellers are still working remotely. They may be making calls from their kitchen. Do they let themselves be distracted by doing laundry, chasing the kids around, drinking another cup of coffee? The coffee syndrome extends to the office space as well. There are time wasters everywhere.
Are they tenacious? Are they persistent? How many people have we seen come in for 3 months, realize this is a real job, and get discouraged and quit. The first year is tough. The second year a little better. Top billers come and stay. They recognize that success comes with making this a career not a job.
The economy goes up and down. Does this person have the ability to ride through it? What does their previous work history show?
And on that note, can they take rejection without resorting to substances that alter their mood? This is a hard one to know in an interview. Remember we are hiring the "I'. If the "I" has a problem, it will show up in their role. Great salespeople let the rejection roll off them and move on to the next prospect.
You hear a lot today, especially from younger people, about a work/life balance. I agree with this and would insert work/life/spirit balance. Great sellers figure out how to balance their time to accommodate all areas. In interviews, I probe this a bit. Sometimes that work/life balance leans heavily to the "life" part. Here's the thing: if you love what you do, it doesn't seem like work. If you exceed 8-5, you don't mind. But if you use your time efficiently, you can get a lot done in normal work hours.
Do they have vision? What are their dreams? Are they coasting, or working toward something? No 20%'ers are coasters.
Finally, I look for a quality one of my mentors identified in me when I was a young pup seller. My manager had congratulated me on my performance that month. I responded with, "Thanks, but I am really concerned about next month." He laughed and said something I have never forgotten. He said, "Pat, all the best sellers run scared." He is right. All the best sellers I work with run scared. I look for that quality to identify the top 20%.
I do use assessments to help me ferret out the great sellers. These assessments highlight many of the items above. I check references. And sometimes I get a "gut feel" for the person, especially if they are new to sales.
As they say, you find great sellers as you find eagles, one at a time. When cloning becomes a reality for humans, I have a few sellers I will gladly clone and fill openings in several markets. But until then, I continue to hunt the great ones!
Happy Hunting!
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