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