How to hire the performing salespeople?
Every company needs good salespeople. But good salespeople are a rare breed. They are high in demand and very low in supply. However, at the time of interview every salesperson shall project his best image. Judging the actual personality of a salesperson in just one interview meeting is very difficult. Recruiting a wrong salesperson can be very risky for your company. Therefore, you need to be very conscious during the entire selection process. Follow these precautions in your selection process.
Make sure that you are very clear about what competencies i.e. Skill, knowledge and attitude you need in a potential salesperson.
Review and shortlist the potential candidate’s CV keeping the competency needs in mind.
Analyze the performance results and achievements claimed by the candidate in his CV. Don’t get impressed only by activities and responsibilities he has performed in previous jobs.
Look for potential inconsistencies in the CV, like gaps in employment continuation, claims about the results achieved, job hopping or spending too much time on one job without adequate career progress, etc.
Identify certain knockout items like, salary fitment, locational fitment, industry experience, academic qualification, total experience etc.
Once you are satisfied with all the above points, call up the potential candidate and conduct an initial interview over phone.
Call the shortlisted candidates for face to face interview.
Use the rule of three which means three interviews, at three different occasions by three different interviewers.
Last interview must be done by the top boss of the company.
