Hiring talented sales people

So much has been written about hiring sales people. In commission jobs there takes a unique and highly specialized individual necessary to be successful in selling.

In my 20 years of managing sellers in the Media Sales space (radio and cable tv) I've concluded there are certain characteristics that come close to insuring success. Consider these:

o Achievers: people who believe everyday starts at zero. They must “achieve” something to be successful. In this case it’s getting appointments, making presentations, closing business that achievers feel an innate success with.

o Adaptability: You have a plan. You want execute it but nearly every day you’re thrown off your plan because of unforeseen circumstances. I look for people that have the quality of adaptability AND still can accomplish their plan.

o Arranger: I look for people who can keep their appointments, write a piece of copy, get the order into the business office and then into traffic while keeping their one on one appointments and making sure their clients get their times. Being able to multi-task is vital and those that can do it successfully succeed.

o Belief: The power to believe in the product and the direction of the company is vital. Successful sales people have astonishing power of belief and do not let internal situations or outside influences change their view of the product value. I look for people who have “passion” of belief.

o Courage: This is one of the most important traits a successful seller can have. The ability to block out everything negative and continue to make calls in the face of adversity. Courage requires belief and high achievers are often people with high courage. I look for examples of this when interviewing. If they display this characteristic then they have the potential to be an A player.

o Connectedness (or Relator): I pride myself on being a good judge of character. I have a B.S. meter and I look for inconsistencies with people. When I find someone who is consistent, passionate and confident but also open to learn, observe and grow then I find a “connected” person or a person that can relate to others. In sales this is so critical because you have to understand a prospect, a customer and be able to connect immediately and over a long period of time.

o Discipline: Sales is hard work because you are always trying to build on your previous day’s work. It takes the right discipline and attitude towards being disciplined to be successful. It means not making excuses. It means playing hurt sometimes. It means NOT letting negativity encroach in your daily responsibilities. Being disciplined everyday with an unwavering commitment to succeed are key areas of success in sales.

o Empathy: I look for people that demonstrate this quality. While there is a chance of being overly empathetic I would rather have someone that knows how to walk in the other guys shoes then have little concept of what moves, triggers and engages others.

o Focus: Akin to discipline but slightly different. Discipline means you wake up in the morning and regardless of your situation attack the day because you must. Focus is the detail behind that attack. It’s not only knowing that “you have to make calls”, It’s knowing the 20 calls you are going to make, the focus to get 2 appointments by lunch and the NOT putting something off (like collections for example) because it’s hard. Focus on the tasks but flexible at the same time.

o Ideation: This is a quality that is not a must but a nice thing to have. Someone who possesses this quality is always thinking about ways to improve their situation and can creatively engage others towards that idea. I feel drawn to people that have this quality and I know clients prefer individuals who have it too.

o Individualization: No two people are alike and therefore being able to understand individuals, what makes them think and how to appeal to them “individually” is a critical element in sales.

o Positivity: Nothing brings down a sales department more than “Mr. Negativity”. I like to see people with smiling faces and good attitudes. I know it’s not possible to always do that but people’s personality generally leans positive or negative. Through conversation and questions I can determine people’s polar leanings.

o Responsibility: I was taught at an early age to be responsible for your actions and to seek additional responsibility because you will grow as a human being. I don’t want people that do not understand this concept, especially the “being responsible for ones actions part”. It is a non-negotiable point. We all must accept the responsibilities we are given and if we do we will develop our sales much better.

o Self-Assurance (Ego). I want self assured people. I want a staff of confident individuals. Sometimes it’s a quiet self assurance sometimes it’s not. I’m ok with both. Self assurance can be cocky but it also can be a driving factor in people’s success.

o Strategic: This goes to their discipline and their focus. I look for circumstances that they apply a thought out strategy for success. There are times when they will fail but being strategic in your thought process will more times than not lead to success.

Other characteristics that I look for but don’t necessarily hire to are:
o Analytical, Developer, Maximizer and Command.

So these are the things I look for in hiring an individual. It is my own “Gallup” test and I have found it to be very successful. The staffs I've built were built around these qualities. Possessing these qualities doesn’t guarantee success it just guarantees that they have a higher propensity for success.