Most small to mid-size companies hire their salespeople haphazardly because they lack a salesforce hiring process. They don’t follow that consistent hiring process, and as a result, make very simple and basic, yet detrimental, mistakes. These blunders ultimately result in hiring the wrong person.
Three Most Common Salesforce Hiring Process Mistakes Companies Make
Salesforce Hiring Process Tip #1. Hiring only when in dire need.
Most organizations hire the salesforce only when they have their back up against the wall and must urgently fill a region, territory or position. This is the worst time to be in the market for hiring a sales pro, due to the bind. This creates a short salesforce hiring process involving a pool of candidates who, rather than being “A” players, are more often B and C players.
Instead, be on the hunt for A players year-round. This means an ongoing salesforce hiring process to avoid ending up being in the pickle of having to settle for the C player because he or she is better than the D player.
Salesforce Hiring Process Tip # 2. Meeting with every eligible candidate.
Most organizations’ salesforce hiring process consists of collecting resumes from a placement ad and sorting through those resumes to set up interviews. This is a tremendous drain on a business’s resources.
Rather than meeting with every eligible candidate, screen them via the phone to filter out the B and C candidates. Run them through some role-playing scenarios over the phone during a five to 10 minute screening process to weed out the undesirable applicants. Ideally you will weed out two-thirds, ensuring a high chance that you’ll actually be meeting only those candidates who can be a prime fit for your company. Imagine how much time and money this will save your business.
Salesforce Hiring Process Tip #3. Using your gut on their fit for the job.
Most companies will rely upon their gut instinct when hiring because their salesforce hiring process is vague or inefficient, and fails to reveal potential good fits for the company. This intuitive approach doesn’t work well in the hiring process.
If a business uses a formalized assessment of candidates before person-to-person meetings, then the gut instinct method won’t be necessary or seen as the only option. These assessments are available online; they are tests that the candidate can take. The hiring staff can then compare their results against the company’s existing team of top performers to assess whether or not the candidate will possess the traits of a top performer.
By avoiding these three common mistakes that trap businesses into settling for B and C players, and by implementing the three simple ways to correct this problem, you will greatly increase your chances of attaining “A” caliber salespeople. Otherwise, can your company continue to afford to waste time and money relying upon scores of dead-end interviews and hiring based upon gut instincts?
Which of these three salesforce hiring process tips have proven to be most useful to you? Please share them below in the comments.
Marc Wayshak is a Motivational Sales Speaker, a Sales Keynote Speaker
and a Sales Management Speaker
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