Fantastic Sales Forum

Are salespeople growing stale and are customers frustrated?

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:53:00 +0000

A great discussion on Linked In today prompted this post, here is my answer to the question

The short answer "are salespeople growing stale NO, are customers frustrated YES.

Here's why...
Business people want to work with other business people. I am proud to be a sales person but I am successful because of what I know about business; generally my overall business acumen and specifically my client's business.

Sales people are churned out now at a disgusting rate with such a small percentage surviving. Management has some responsibility here but let's face it the ultimate responsibility lays at he door of the individual. Most seek the EASIEST way to success, few are willing to do what it takes, REALLY TAKE!

So are salespeople growing stale NO, they are growing lazy. Are customers frustrated YES they want somebody who "sits on their side of the table" and is not just worried with features and benefits. If you are not a life long student of business and its practices and you don't put in the time to learn about your customer's business well "Vaya Con Huevos" Go with Eggs cuz nobody else will!

Have you or your sales organization ever participated in a "Sales Blitz"

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:57:00 +0000

Take the poll http://polls.linkedin.com/poll-results/49102/zjgte

Hiring A Sales Superstar: The Wrap-Up

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:53:00 +0000

"Between stimulus and response there is always choice"
Victor Frankl

All right now, you have put you candidates through the prescribed series of interviews, tests and simulations. You are down to the candidate you want to hire so now what?

1)Invite the candidate(s) to an offer meeting

2)Prepare for said meeting by putting together your Minimum Expecation Agreement, here is one example Body%20Tek%20Minimum%20Activity%20Expectations.doc .

3)The offer meeting needs to be exploratory and definitive in nature. Let the candidate read any prepared documents and ask if they have any questions, concerns or problems.

4)Either answer questions then make the offer or if there are no questions roll into the offer.

5)Explain in as much detail as you can and answer any questions they may have.

6)At this point you either have a hire, "I have to think about it" or NO! Regardless of the answer make sure you have a definitive followup or logical conclusion to the hiring process.

6A) Hire: Schedule their start date and everything you expect out them before, during and after their first day.

6B)"I Have to think about it": This is a perfectly acceptable answer, just make sure you have a definitive call time to followup.

6C) NO: Ask their reasons and either thank them for their time or make a fight for them.

7) Regardless of the outcome start the hiring process over again because hiring is an all the time thing. You ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS want to have an "Ongoing Bench". Never be put in the situation that you are a rep down. Why would you want to lose that revenue? Especially because it was just you being lazy and sitting on your as... I mean resting on your laurels.

Alright, that concludes "Hiring A Sales Superstar" now what comes next? Well once you have a new hire they need to hit the ground running. How do you do that? It is called P.O.D. Productive Orientation and Development tune into my next post and we will start the discussion.

And remember you can either make sales or make excuses but you can't do both!

Hiring A Sales Superstar: The Simulation Critique

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:28:00 +0000

"The unexamined life is not worth living"
Socrates

Okay, you conduct the simulation, video tape it and have your results all laid out. Now, you have to relay the results to the candidate. You may think you have learned everything there is to know because of the thoroughness of the simulation but you haven't.

Our friend "Gauge" tells us how the candidate accepts your critique should be a crucial factor in your overall decision.

Now a short course on how to relay critique. The better the simulation the harsher the critique, the worse the simulation the more gentle. In both cases you MUST relay the facts it is just the manner that will change.

If they did a great job but are thin skinned during the critique that should tell you that they may not take criticism well much less be able to handle adversity. Or as Alec Baldwin said in Glen Garry Glenn Ross "if you can't take what I am saying to you how are you going to take the abuse you get on a sit?" People who perform well need a more tougher approach because you don't want some talented prima donna who can't take coaching. They tend to be complainers and could undermine authority and teamwork.

If they did a poor job but take the criticism well or ask for a second chance to fix their mistakes and put your suggestions in action that should tell you about their resilience. I want somebody with the attitude to try until they get it right. You may be softer in your approach but nobody likes a bad review. If they crumble well... If they are made of sterner stuff they you'll know by their response.

These examples are the extremes. Your critiques will vary of course as will how you handle them, always based on the individual. What is important is learning more about the candidate and their viability for your position while determining the direction of the interview process.

Check back for my for my next post on Hiring a Sales Superstar!

And remember "You can either make sales or make excuses but you can't do both!"

Make sure to follow me on Twitter

http://twitter.com/Sales_Impact

It's The Economy Stupid.. Or Is It?

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:55:00 +0000

Say hello to CONTACT, she is the Best Practice League's specialist in lead generation and today is all about her...

"The economy, the economy it is making my customers into tightwads" Boy oh boy I have been hearing that refrain everywhere. Believe you me, I don't NOT think that the economy is tough right now and that some markets are tougher than others. My problem is "our" collective response to the core issue.

When things are tight prospects are going to dry up, that's a fact Jack (shout out to my 13 month old there). That doesn't change the fundamental nature of the game. Part of the problem is the economy but the bigger part, the most imortant part of the probelm is human nature, our human nature as salespeople. When we don't have enough prospects in our pipeline we start to see every person who says they MAY be interested as a QUALIFIED PROSPECT and the sad truth is that is never true. When is every person who expresses interest a qualified prospect? Answer: Never!

Sales is still sales but it is the lead generation that has got tougher. The real problem is we have gotten lazy with our lead generation and our prospect qualification. You want to beat this recession then double your lead generation efforts and improve your qualification skills. More calls, send out more SIT touches, do more drop offs but also ask better and more detailed questions. Make sure whoever you are talking to is the right person with the right organization in the right industry with the right needs and wants.

The beauty of this is if we put the time in NOW to make sure we are doing the right things with the right people then when the economy turns we will be in the "cat bird's seat" and ready to hit the ground running AHEAD of the competition.

Below are a couple of good articles on this very subject...

3%20ways%20to%20improve%20your%20lead%20nurturing%20strategy.pdf

Why%20you%20should%20touch%20a%20customer.pdf

I know, I know I still have to finish my Hiring and Assessment System, I promise I will continue that thread with my next post...

Letting A Salesperson Go

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:36:00 +0000

A sales person who is being fired, as a general rule, know they are doing bad and their morale/self confidence is low already.

You can actually raise their opinion of themselves if you are professional and compassionate but not SOFT when you let them go.

Most co-workers are also aware of the poor performance. You can have 2 positive impacts here 1) They see the dead weight being cut away 2) they see you are adhering to at least basic standards. The downside to not letting them go right away is the potential negative impact having this person could cause. Even the most simple cause and effect griping could have a ripple effect that would at least disrupt your operation.

As the manager it is your job to contact the clients and maintaining the situation. You should facilitate/participate in the first meeting with the new rep. Again if you do this part right it is a net gain.

We are salespeople, it is our job to turn every situation to our advantage. This can be a positive teaching moment for everybody involved. The key is not being weak or apologetic. Have and know the facts so you can speak with authority. Remember one weak link will break the chain what you are doing is for the good of the customer, company and team!

CHANGE

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Some people don’t want to be saved. Because saving

means changing and changing is always harder than

staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in

the mirror and look beyond the reflection, to find the

you that you should have been, the you that got

derailed because of some circumstance. Events can

take your life’s natural trajectory and twist it. Changing

it into something unimaginable or even incredible,

giving you the courage to embrace your birthright,

your destiny and realize who you were always meant to

be.

Hiring A Sales Superstar: Constructing & Conducting a Sales Simulation

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:08:00 +0000

"Mistakes Are Temporary But Regret... That Lasts Forever"
John C. Kolencik

When I was a kid and would get into trouble almost always my parents would find out. The next 20 minutes, after their discovery, I would spend apologizing, trying to avoid the inevitable punishment that was coming. That's when my parents came right back everytime and said "John Christopher Kolencik your actions speak louder than your words" emphasis THEIRS!

Why do we take a candidate's word for it when they say that they can sell? Oh, right it says they can on their resume'. Yea, and their references said they can too. Well I have waited a long time to say this instead of hearing it "your actions speak louder than words".

Sales simulations are a KEY tool in discovering the actual skill level of any potential sales hires. Think about it, what tells you more about a person besides how they actually react in a particular situation? And the beauty of the sales simulation is that you can construct it EXACTLY to the experiences you have everyday.

There are a 1o steps that must be adhered to so the simulation will yield the results and information you need to help in your hiring selection. I will detail 9 of them today and the 10th will be in my next post.

Give the candidate access to any advice or resources that a currently employed sales person would have but don't prompt them to specifics. If they ask great but if they don't, well that tells you something right there doesn't it?

Make sure that the simulation is based in your everyday reality. Harder is better than easier but straying to either extreme garners you nothing but wasted time.

Each step in YOUR actual sales process should be simulated, no short cuts!

Detail out, internally, how you define success in the simulation. This gives you an un-biased road map to grade/assess the candidate.

There should be multiple "actors" in any simulation. When was the last time you were involved in a sale that didn't have multpile parties involved?

Write defined roles and direction for the "actors", don't rely on their "acting chops". This removes any bias or random mistakes.

Include "planned interruptions" during the course of the simulation. What sale have you been a part of where your meetings were never interrupted?

Always include a letter/proposal writing segment in any simulation. What a deflation it is to find your new star sales hire "don't write too good".

Record it, minimum audio but preferably video. See my last post as to why.

Conduct a Critique Session.

That's it for today. If you have any questions or need any help constructing/conducting a Sales Simulation give me a call at 216-347-6729. Make sure to check back for my next post where I detail out Number 11; How to conduct an effective Critique Session. And believe you me if you thought the Simulation was an eye-opener just wait to see what you will learn by critiquing your candidate's performance.

Hiring A Sales Superstar: 1st Interview Questions

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:21:00 +0000

“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside themselves was superior to circumstance” Bruce Barton

First let me introduce you to Gauge, he is a member of the BPL: The Best Practice League. His specialty is the hiring and assessment process and he helps us to remember just how important it is to not only ask the right questions but to ask them the right way.

Okay, I promised you the questions to use for a first interview. So below is the link to the document with the questions. But before we get to them, let's talk about "HOW" to conduct a first in-person interview.

Remember this is an interview not a date. Don't get swept up in the style of the moment. You are looking for answers that contain facts and figures. The best salespeople know how to make a compelling point . They know how to paint a picture evoking emotion with their words. They also know how to give specifics, facts and details. The less specific an answer is the quicker your @#$%^ detector should be going off.

Make sure you are very clear upfront about what you want from them. You want this to be conversational but you are looking for answers to these questions. If they don't get to the point don't let them off the hook. Keep after them a maximum of 3 times on any one question. If they have not answered the question to your satisfaction after 3 tries move on but make sure to notate the miss.

Finally, ALWAYS record your interviews. This kills 3 birds with the proverbial 1 stone. 1) you don't have to trust your memory or your notes 2) upon reflection you may hear something for better or worse that you missed on the first pass 3) legal protection. Remember, you do have to tell them they will be recorded.

Please feel free to give me a call 216 347 6729 and we can talk through any questions you may have and in the meantime make sure you go to my websites by clicking in the links to the right.

Make sure to check back for the next post when we discuss how to conduct a Sales Simulation and conduct a Critique Session that will give you more insight into a sales hire than you ever thought possible.

Here are your 1st Interview Questions...
1st%20Interview%20Questions%20Rev.%201.doc

Hiring A Sales Superstar: Setting The Tone For Your Interview Process

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:11:00 +0000

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.

William Arthur Ward

In our previous post we discussed the traits that are present in ALL Sales Superstars. Today we are going to discuss how to set the agenda with the applicant that will help to smooth the interview process on both sides of the table.

I LOVE a good candy bar, my favorite being 3 Musketeers, don't know why just love'em! The thing I always notice is no matter how large my craving and how good it tastes going down the experience never really fills me up. Then when my eyes are bigger then my stomach and I have too many of those delectable little morsels (like Halloween) my stomach quickly shows its displeasure at my lack of willpower. Poor interviewing has similar symptoms but far worse consequences.

Okay, first off let's remember this is an interview for a professional sales position, it is not a personality contest. Too many sales managers think they have to fall over themselves being genial while not asking any tough questions lest you scare off a potential hire. I am not advocating being rude I am saying you need to treat this as business meeting not a conversation at a bar. If you are looking for a new best friend or somebody who will be a "Yes Person" then you are in the wrong business.

Sales Superstars are competitive and they liked to be challenged. They will naturally gravitate to the person or organization that they believe CAN and WILL push them to be the best and help them make the most money.

Set The Tone
You need to inform them that

You will be asking questions and followups

If you see fit you may need to cut them off in mid-answer if they are not answering on point

You want it to be conversational but not at the expense of getting to the information you need (IE 'the truth')

This is a bi-directional process and they are welcome to ask as many questions as they see fit

This is a filtering process for both parties, to continue the interview process both parties have to feel comfortable

One word answers are not acceptable and you are actually looking for examples from their own personal experiences to illustrate their answers

Good start! If you set the ground rules as stated above it will allow for a clear and open discussion on qualifications. Just be prepared to live by your own rules. The best want to work with the best. We naturally are attracted to people who are as good or better than we are. If a Sales Superstar asks you direct questions and you can not answer them don't expect them to WANT to work for you no matter how 'nice' an interviewer you may be....

That's it for today, next up what are the questions you need to ask in an interview...

Hiring A Sales Superstar: What We Are Looking For

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:43:00 +0000

"You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you."

George Lucas

"96% of all sales managers have NO formal interview training" this quote is excerpted from an article in Selling Power Magazine. WOW, what a scary statistic! Suddenly those "hiring horror stories" make absolute sense to me.

The funny thing is, that of all job titles, I firmly believe that a sales manager, if they were successful as a sales person, should be a FANTASTIC interviewer.

Think about it...

they would be skilled at asking questions and listening

they would understand how to dig in to any area that didn't make sense or where information was lacking

they could piece together all the elements of the hiring process so they could make a well informed decision without sacrificing their gut instinct

they would have set questions they would ask of every candidate and not "wing it" or "shoot from the hip"

and most importantly they would know what makes a "qualified" candidate based on an established list of requirements

Well, we just named our poison didn't we? Over the course of the next couple of posts we will examine the intricacies of interviewing and what every sales manager needs to do to minimize mistakes and make sure their next hire is a Sales Superstar!

First up, we will be discussing "what" we are looking for in a sales candidate. Let's begin by distinguishing between skill sets (SS) and talent/traits (TT). Skill sets are learned behavior that we have mastered to one level or another based on repetition, ability and success. Talent and traits are things we are born with like being tall or running fast. Both SS's and TT's are important but TT's are the determining factor of a successful superstar or an also-ran. This is because either you have these things or you don't and if you have the right TT's you can master EVERY skill set needed to be a success in sales.

The most important TT to have is DRIVE, the need to achieve something that nobody else can. Believe me, some people just don't have this trait. You know these folks, they are likable enough people but many times will not push that extra inch to win.

A person with DRIVE wants to win at virtually everything they do. Video games, being the most well read, making more calls than their teammates you name it they want to be the best or as Anne Elbery, a friend of mine, says "why play it unless you are in it to win it". That, in a nutshell, is how somebody with DRIVE thinks. Be the best at everything and if you come in second there are no moral victories only winners and losers. Isn't this EXACTLY how you want a salesperson to think and act, always optimistic of a positive result and willing to work as hard as needed to make winning happen?

Next you should be looking for INTELLIGENCE. You can't fake smart and there is no work around to stupid. This trait allows for the sales person to be an idea generator and to be astute enough to understand complicated concepts that could effect their success. It also gives them the ability to create and use a large word inventory and, as noted in Forbes Magazine, business executives possess one of the largest vocabularies in all professions. Sales people need to be able to learn and adapt in a verbal environment. The lack of this trait would hamper their efforts at basic communication much less closing the sale.

Being NATURALLY CURIOUS is the next trait they need. A sales person must absolutely HUNGER for information. They should always wonder how thnks work, why prospects do certain things and they should always be asking another question. Sales people who don't ask questions are called order takers or worse... unemployable. Asking questions has got to be akin to breathing for sales people.

Questions like "why would you want that" or "what does that mean" or "how does that happen" should be asked by EVERY sales person on every sales call. Being NATURALLY CURIOUS means asking the needed questions that you have not even thought of yet because these are based on the situation you are in at the time.

And one more thing, if the person you are interviewing does not avail themselves of the opportunity to ask questions and learn everything they can about your company when you give them the chance... be afraid, be very afraid and don't invite them back to continue the hiring process.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS is next on the list. Without this, no ideas are transferred to the customer and if they were it was probably done just bad enough to ensure a missed sale. People with good COMMUNICATION SKILLS are generally great influencers of opinion, a needed ability in sales wouldn't you agree? They also rank very high in expressive spontaneity, the ability to think on one's feet. This very important trait allows you to capitalize on all the time, work and money put into finding prospects if on no other level than making sure their first opinion of your company is a positive one.

The final trait you absolutely need to have in a candidate is GUTS. Your sales person has got to take chances to go for the brass ring and sometimes that means pushing past their comfort zone and that takes GUTS! This trait also helps a sales person to develop their emotional intelligence (thick skin). Most, if not all, average to bad sales people take rejection personally allowing a few bad calls or appointments to keep them down while providing a near endless supply of excuses. Sales people with GUTS simply dust themselves off and start over, then DRIVE kicks in and they don't stop until they succeed.

That's it for today! Look for these 5 traits in ALL your candidates. The ones who have them will be a source of pride and sales for years to come. Also look for these things in your existing staff and if you weren't hiring maybe it is time to start...

Hiring A Sales Superstar: Checking References

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:43:00 +0000

Our character is an omen of our destiny, the more integrity we have and keep, the simpler and nobler that destiny will be.

Geroge Santayana

It always amazes me to find out how FEW sales managers actually check references. I'm all for trust, but can you really believe everything an interviewee is telling you? What really scares me is that I think it is more about being lazy/busy than trust. I heard a great line the other day, "We never have enough time to do it right, but we always have enough time to go back and fix it." Let's start doing it right the first time and eliminating unqualified candidates from ever darkening your office door again.

Step 1
After completing the phone screen and prior to scheduling the 1st in-person interview, let the applicant know you need their references and that they will be checked before the first interview.

Yes, I said checking references should be done BEFORE the 1st in-person interview. Why you ask... Do you want to waste your time in an interview with somebody who doesn't have good references? I thought so... Also this has 2 additional benefits 1) It scares away anyone who doesn't have good references and is either going to manufacture them when needed or hope you forget to ask and check. 2) It also tests the preparation of the applicant -- letting you know just how proactive this person is. Either benefit really pays for itself in time investment ten fold in return.

Step 2
Making the Calls: There is a definitive art to making reference calls. Most people will only give you perfunctory information out of fear of getting sued. Your job is to relax the person you are talking to and make it a conversation, not an interrogation. People like to give their advice so if you ask questions that put them in the role of advisor and not former employer we are more likely to gather the info we need.

Questions You Should Be Asking In No Particular Order (Remember Conversation Not Interrogation)

Could you describe your company's culture?

What makes a great sales rep at your company?

What questions do you ask when you are calling about references? (after asking this make sure you follow their suggestions for at least 2 questions befoe you return to your own agenda)

How would you compare _____with the best sales people in your company?

How did _____function best? Clarify: Was it as member of a team or as a great salesperson?

Is ____eligible to be rehired? If not Why?

Would you enthusiastically recommend ____?

What, if anything, distinguishes _____ from the best salespeople at your company?

What do you think we can expect from ____ if she/he works for us?

You'll rarely get all of the details about a candidate. So before you make the reference call try this tactic. Call their direct line whenever you are sure they won't be there and leave this message: "____ is applying for a sales position at out firm. Your name has been given to me as a reference. Please call me back if this person was outstanding." If they do not call back, follow up with an actual reference call during regular hours and ask if they got the message and if there was a reason they did not call you back.

Remember to either record or take detailed notes about the call. You may get a sterling recommendation, but that is not the overall goal of the call. You are determining if this person will be a Sales Superstar. Test what the reference said about the candidate. Incorporate specific questions and simulations, based on a references answers, into your interview process.

You never know what might be the one factoid that trips up a phony. One detail that saves you and your company thousands of dollars, hundreds of manhours and lost customers just because somebody "interviewed well" and you didn't have time to check their references.

Okay on to the first interview. The next post we will be discussing the setup and how to incorporate what you have learned so far into the questions that are needed to assure you of hiring of a Sales Superstar!

Hiring A Sales Superstar: The Telephone Screen

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:49:00 +0000

"We are generally the better persuaded by the reasons we discover ourselves than by those given to us by others"

Blasie Pascal

Part 5: The Telephone Interview
After getting your position contract, hiring dashboard and other preparation work done it is time to dig in and to get people into the process. Remember, hiring is just like sales the more prospects you have in the pipeline the better chance you have of finding an A-Player. The best hires I have made over the years have been from the average ratio of 1 out of 68 applicants. The average time time they have been with their company is 8.2 years. They also have performed remarkably, the average quota attainment for my hires is 121%. The process works but you have to use it, so let's start defining the steps so you can see these results too!

Tools: 3 basic questions and the ability to listen discerningly. The 3 questions need to be simple, direct and must give you insight to the applicant's selling style and attitude (I will be posting a sample of questions with a link).

Methodology: Your calling sessions should always be between 7pm amd 9pm. Why in the evening you ask? Simple, when is the best time to reach somebody, during the workday or at home? When do you think that they will have their guard down and you will be able to get the "truest" answers from them? When will give you the best chance to really "hear" who they are? All have the same answer in THE EVENING!

* Now the call itself, first introduce yourself, let them know who you are and why you are calling. Ask if they are familar with your company then listen to their response. You are looking for someone who took the time to research your company and not just blasted out 1000+ resumes'.

* Next, explain what you will doing in this call. You have a few questions to ask, and they probably have a few questions (always make sure they have the time, this interview should last 15 to no longer than 30 minutes at the absolute outside). If they say yes then give them a chance to ask their questions. Go into some measure of detail but stay away from phone interview taboos like salary. Also, if the questions they ask are all about vacation, benefits, parking and start/end times (8-5, 9-6 etc.) these should be your first warning signs. You want to hear questions about the market, customers, typical sales day etc., these are good initial indicators of a salesperson.

* After they have exhausted their questions or time is running a bit long it is your turn. Ask the questions you have prepared and give them a chance to respond to each in full. Remember you are looking for clear, intelligent and thought provoking answers and you won't hear them if you are talking over their responses. One of my steadfast guidlines is to never paraphrase an answer from an applicant. Always either audio tape or write EXACTLY what they said in response to your question. Never let your ASSUMPTIONS come in the way of their answers and actual intent.

* If their answers are to your satisfaction close the interview by asking if they have any other questions. To a "good" sales applicant they will recognize this as the opportunity to try and close you for an in-person interview. If they do not try and close you it is a judgement call as to whether you ask them for an in-person. In case you were wondering, 90% of the time I will not invite them for an in-person unless they tried to close me first.

*Wrap it up by scheduling a first in-person interview and making sure you get their references because you need to check them in before the in-person.

There are, obviously, many areas of open interpretation here. Please feel free to call or email with any questions you may have.

Next post we'll discuss how to conduct the reference check and why to do it BEFORE the first in-person interview!

Hiring A Sales Superstar: Measuring Your Results

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:04:00 +0000

"If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owed more to patient attention than to any other talent"

Issac Newton

Part 4: Measuring Your Results

Hiring needs to be a trackable, multiple step process or as the saying goes "measure twice, cut once". We simply can not afford the cost of our time, effort and potential loss of customers or revenue because of a bad hire. So today we are digging into the setup of your new hiring system

First, before you start using the system you MUST create a "hiring dashboard". Usually its a spread sheet or project document that allows you track each candidate as to where they are in the process and how they are performing at each step. This is a crucial tool that will help you to not only keep up to date with your candidates but it will also help you to see where and what steps need to be improved in your system (I will be posting a sample of this at the end of the week). This document can also be an excellent communication tool. It should be posted on a shared resource drive so all members of the hiring team can update the dashboard as needed as well as check on the progress of all candidates in the pipeline at any time.

Next you need to establish a scoring or rating system for each step of the system. My rule of thumb is KISS (keep it simple stupid). I generally have 3 possible scores, 1) acceptable 2) not acceptable 3) above average. This methodology allows the actual "math" to be relatively easy. You total the 3 answers and factor in your "gut" feeling when you have candidates who are close in answer results. I promise you will find that the best candidates are ALWAYS the highest scores if you use the right measures.

Okay, that's it for today tomorrow, 4/09/08, I will begin to detail out the the first steps of the Hire Right System, talk to you then!

Hiring A Sales Superstar: The Position Contract

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:12:00 +0000

"If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties."

Sir Francis Bacon

Part 3: Details, Details, Details

We spent the first 2 posts laying out the pieces of the Hire-Right System. Today we are going to start digging into the specifics.

Let's begin at the beginning... the job description or what I call the Position Contract. The mistake that most companies make is a not defining the specifics of the job. Sales management, as a general rule, thinks that they should make the Position Contract as simple as possible. The problem is that they confuse a lack of needed detail with simplicity.

I am a outer space junkie. Reading everything from Stephen Hawking's 'A Brief History of Time' to sci-fi and watching all things Star Trek. Apollo 13 is one of my favorite movies in this genre' and I have seen it countless times. I loved the way they paid attention to the most minute detail of space travel. In particular, how they showed that there was not one detail that was too small to be left to chance. Everything they did had a checklist and spelled out process to complete the task.

So the question I ask is "why does sales management think they can or should skimp on the details of a Position Contract?" Are sales, the life blood of any company, any less important? How many lives are dependent on a sales person doing their job right and effectively? With that in mind, below are some excerpts from a Position Contract I developed
for a client. I will be posting a link with the entire document in a few days until then feel free to call me with any questions.

Position Contract Excerpt Begins

Position Specific Standards: List all quantity, quality and behavior standards which this position is accountable:

total number of calls and visits responded to, generated and converted into buying activity will be recorded, measured and reviewed using GoldMine reports
your personal lead conversion success will be recorded, measured and reviewed using GoldMine reports
new customer dollar quota____ defined as business that is not currently with (__________)
Scheduled work hours for this position are: As needed

Sales will:

develop & maintain an “at-a boy file”
develop & maintain a competition file
deliver weekly & monthly synopsis of concerns to Sales Manager in the form of 1:1 meeting
maintain & develop database of minimum 100 suspect companies at all times
be a resource of information to help the customer continually improve their overall business operation
fax/e-mail/mail to minimum 25 prospects per week, 100 per month, 1200 per year
follow up telephone contact and fax within 5 business days
continually analyze lead generation process and measure for consistent results, any revisions in the process will be documented and presented to Sales Manager for decision on implementation
conduct sales interviews according to sales strategy process
prepare proposal to address item(s) of dissatisfaction or needs
rehearse presentation in full in front of sales Sales Manager or at his prior approval, another sales associate or video tape (if video taped must be reviewed by Sales Manager)
present proposals
arrange and orchestrate customer site visits
present actions necessary to advance and finalize the sale
arrange for implementation of ____ services
follow up on any lead or referral within a 24-hour time frame or forfeit that lead to the Sales Manager.
They will also document source, strategy and success of that lead in GoldMine database and reward the source through appropriate company procedures
continually analyze sales/marketing strategy and measure for consistent results, any revisions in the process will be documented and presented to Sales Manager for decision on implementation

Position Contract Excerpt Ends

I think you get the picture. There is no detail too small or insignificant to be left out. Don't take anything for granted. When you pay this amount of attention to detail there is also a great by-product. Think of the message you are sending your potential hire. You are not only telling them that they will be held accountable, you set the standard BEFORE they come on board. All ambiguity is removed and it allows for the beginning of clear communication between you and your next Sales Superstar!

That's all for now, Monday, 4/07/08, we will be digging into the setup and tracking of the Hire-Right System.

Hiring A Sales Superstar: Hire-Right System Steps

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:25:00 +0000

"What we must decide is how we are valuable rather

than how valuable we are."

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Welcome to Part 2! Today we talk about the specific steps in the hiring system...

Each step of the system must have standardized sets of questions, testing etc. so that all candidates go through the exact same experience (I will be discussing this more and showing examples in future posts). This allows you to compare candidates "apples to apples". One of the biggest errors made in hiring is when 2 different potentials are interviewed by the same person yet are asked different questions. How can an accurate comparison be made? Standardized questions, testing and simulations also reduces if not eliminates any random "gut feeling" responses from interviewers and helps to focus on objective facts. You don't want to remove your "gut instinct" from the process, just minimize using it with potentials who are close and comparable in skill based on your system.

Below is my proprietary 10 step system Hire-Right

1) Telephone Screen
2) Reference Checking
3) In-Person Interview
4) Industry specific testing
5) Sales Situation Simulations with Critique
6) Position Experience Day
7) 2nd In-Person Interview
8) Development Retention Class
9) Group Interview
10) Offer Meeting

There are, of course, different levels of intricacy/detail for each step and I will be explaining in more detail in future posts.

Remember salespeople are trained to make people like them. Plus, C-Potentials know if they obfuscate the facts long enough they can sneak by virtually any short term situation. Just long enough as it turns out to get a job at a company without a formal hiring system or enough steps in their system that will weed them out.

I know what you are thinking "Jeez John do we really need to put them through all these steps?" Categorically the answer is YES! Why do you want it to be easy for someone to get a job at your company? People quickly discard what is easily achieved, but something that is hard fought and won they will value greatly. Plus, the system tells them something about you. It tells them that you just don't hire anybody and if they make it they are one of the elite, the best of the best.

The better question to ask yourself is what happens if you hire somebody who you think is a A-Player and they turn out to be a bust? How much money will you lose in your time and resources, your staff's time training and coaching and how much will they cost you with customers? Can you live with those unknowns? Plus, when someone makes it through this system aside from the basics, you'll learn the intangible things about them, things like...

1) Do they want this job enough to really work for it?
2) Can they do this job?
3) Can they handle the adversity that they are sure to experience at this job?

All key answers you need to know BEFORE making them an offer!

Also just like selling, hiring is as much as a disqualification process as a qualification on both sides of the equation. It is vitally important to not waste time on borderline recruits, or as I call them C-Potentials, this process takes long enough as is. You don't want to waste your time with 'average' candidates, besides is sales the profession where you want to hire an average candidate?

Tune in tomorrow, 4/03/08, we'll be going into the detail I have been promising and really start fleshing out your new hiring system.

Hiring A Sales Superstar: The Job Description

blog@matriximpact.com (blog) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:36:00 +0000

"He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill."

-Edmund Burke

Hiring is just like sales. The recruit needs to "value" the position you are hiring for. If they don't, just like in sales, when you simply throw a quote at the customer, you are competing almost excusively on price and not value.

I always tell my clients to ask themselves these 2 questions...
"How do you want the job you are screening for to be perceived?"
"Would you apply to this job?"

Start with a detailed job description. Talk to your best sales person and let them "walk you through their day". Combine this with what you know they need to be a success at this position and you're off to a good start. Remember if you don't know what you are looking for and you can't describe the position to your potentials you are starting off in the hole. (I will discuss more and show examples of a detailed sales job descriptions in future posts)

Whatever system you use it has to be made up of multiple "evaluation touch-points". The U.S Marine Corp has done studies on effectiveness of their troops. What they found was that 2 people were 4 times as effective as 1 when they operated as a team. It is best to have at least 2 different people in the hiring process with both having equal hiring authority and conducting different portions of the process. This gives you 2 sets of eyes and ears all with one purpose in mind. (I will discuss more and show you sample versions of sales hiring processes in future posts)

There is more to cover and I am just getting started. Check back on 4/2/08 and tune in for part 2!