The Right Hires. For the Right Jobs. Right Now!

September 23, 2010

Can we “Learn How to Hire Top Sales Talent”?

Filed under: Hiring — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — rdorazio @ 2:18 pm

Can we “Learn How To Hire Top Sales Talent?”    by Rye D’orazio rdorazio@rayandbarney.com

How would another Sales Top Performer impact your sales?

In today’s business environment every sale matters and every sales team is at the center of a battle to do more than just survive.  They want to thrive! But, great teams don’t just happen. They require leadership and a balanced investment in the systems, skills, and talent required to compete and win. Business leaders can have a blueprint for delivering the right talent, skills and systems required to field a great sales team, ensuring maximum impact and control over every sale.

Having the Right Sales Talent is the foundation for success particularly since sales people are the catalysts that drive most companies’ revenue. This session is for Company and Sales Executives who want learn practical ways to attract hire and retain the best sales talent for their organization. Jim Hunter the founder of PeopleBest list these 7 critical areas to look at in sales hiring and recruiting. Note that they encompass much more than recruiting and interviewing.

  1. “Crack the Code” of TOP Performers – know the exact SuccessDNA of ‘why’ your TOP performers outpace everyone else.
  2. Eliminate BAD Hires – by doing a SuccessDNA profile on all candidates before you hire, you end up only hiring TOP performers
  3. Save Time in Interviews – screen candidates before you speak with them and you’ll save time in talking only to the most qualified AND have exact areas to zero in on for clarification.
  4. Assessing TEAM Skills and Performance – looking at the SuccessDNA of your sales team will give you the exact areas to help improve performance individually and through training programs or coaches. The Talent matrix of what is important
  5. Utilize a SuccessDNA Model (culture, position expectations/performance mgmt, dvlp plan, comp plan, interview questions, competency tests, sales support structure vs. sales candidates DNA)
  6. Build a Sales Bench – Look at the size of your team, growth plans and the team’s performance.
  7. How to develop the team – Intentional Steps to coach and develop sales associates.

We have to ask ourselves what is the SuccessDNA of the Top Performer Sales person for your company and for your industry. Do you know and can you hire to:

  • Skills, experience, motivation, competencies, etc.
    • Can they sell to who you are selling to?
  • Can they support your sales cycle and  type of sale? (hardware, software, services, training) How you sell, how you get leads, etc.
  • Can they work with the companies you call on, their buying process?
  • Can they operate in your culture with the level of sales support you provide?
  • Do they align with the DNA of the company – unspoken word – what it really is vs. what we like it to be or say it is?

Moving forward:

Step 1: Map Your SuccessDNA

1. Define your ‘A’ players behaviors
2. Define the exact competencies for the job
3. Map your people’s experiences

      • Longevity & compensation with company
      • Educational background
      • Industry experience
      • Product knowledge
      • Training accreditation
      • Employment stability
      • Outside interests

      4.   Map your people’s–company differentiators

      • Training programs – a lot or little?
      • Incentive programs – big or small?
      • National or local marketing support?
      • Promotion policy – from within or not?
      • Pay plans – highly leveraged or not?
      • CRM or HRIS systems – big or small?

      5.      Create the Sales Job Portfolio

      • Decision Support Criteria
      • Job Description
      • 30,60,90 Day Plan
      • On-boarding Schedule
      • Goals & Objectives Review
      • Performance Measures, Metrics & Success Criteria
      • Competency Assessment Profile
      • Interview Questions

      Step 2: Utilize a SuccessDNA Model

      1.      Eliminate BAD Hires – by doing a SuccessDNA profile on all candidates before you hire, you end up only hiring TOP performers
      2.    Save Time in Interviews – screen candidates before you speak with them and you’ll save time in talking only to the most qualified AND have exact areas to zero in on for clarification.

      Step 3: Assess Your Team

      Assess your team and track to refine your hiring profile to get specifically smarter as you go! Assessing TEAM Skills and Performance – looking at the SuccessDNA of your sales team will give you the exact areas to help improve performance individually and through training programs or coaches. The Talent matrix of what is important

      Step 4: Team Development

      Develop an Action plan for your team with Intentional Steps to coach and develop sales associates.

      Join us for a Free Discussion on these issues September 30th.   See the DEC http://events.linkedin.com/Learn-How-Hire-Top-Sales-Talent-First/pub/416463

      September 21, 2010

      Improve selling and salesforce morale by implementing team sales calls

      Filed under: Development & Training, Energy — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — mfaust @ 11:00 am

      By Mark Faust

      Selling is one of the most emotionally draining efforts in business. One’s self esteem is put to the test with each challenge, objection and rejection. But unlike most competition, sports, or even war, sales is usually a fight that one person is making on their own. Worse yet, if one fails in a sales call or series of efforts, they not only face the initial rejection, but the cross examination and second guessing from management and their peers.

      So given the pressures and solo nature of sales is there anything that can be done to ameliorate the potential for self doubt, emotional downturns and static sales strategies?

      There is a strategy that many of the best companies strategically employ to foster continuous improvement in selling efforts, cross training, improved esprit de corps and for enhanced credibility; team sales calls. Unlike the shadowing of a sales manager with their sales rep, team sales calls of two sales reps have a different dynamic. There are times where it is important to have management shadow sales reps, but this strategy is different.

      Team Sales Calls

      Team Sales Calls

      What we have found with client after client is that when occasional team sales calls are scheduled between peers in the field there are several benefits; increased productivity, exchange of selling strategies and ideas, improved closing ratios and improved morale.

      We find that tying current top objectives to the purpose of the team sales calls can often accelerate progress toward reaching those objectives. Whether it’s training and skills improvement, productivity improvement or just improving sales revenues, incorporating team sales calls can often help a company to reach its sales development goals faster. Here are a few applications of the concept:

      Peer to Peer Evaluations & Training – Sales reps of all experience levels have areas that they could improve. Having your sales team create a list of areas that they would like to improve organizationally and in their own selling execution is a great start to beginning peer to peer evaluation and training. Create a check list and/or ratings sheet of areas that need to be evaluated. Alternate reps evaluating each other on team sales calls as well as require recommendations for improvement. Professionals that evaluate others on their performance end up learning much for themselves. Best of all the recommendations tend to be more readily received because they’re from a peer and not “just management who doesn’t really know what it’s like out there right now anyway.”

      Sales Blitzes – To address productivity that is lower than the potential or to penetrate a territory quickly that is new or has been somewhat ignored, it can be quite effective to get “all hands on deck”. Put as many people into this target territory to make joint sales calls and see as many of the prospects and customers as possible. The teaming tends to ensure that everyone is productive and making as many calls as possible. The result is proof and confidence that a much greater number of calls can be made. Also, it can be a bit of a shock treatment for the market/prospects who experience your company coming out in full force and thus making quite a powerful impression.

      King Calls – Involving presidents, GM’s and owners on calls can be miraculous at improving credibility, shortening sales cycles and bringing improvements to the sales efforts. Customers and reps appreciate the respect that is shown by occasionally having the top echelon out in the field. Many of the best CEOs make this a regular practice.

      Determine where you could make team sales calls and watch sales improve!

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