Differentiating Your Organization Through World-Class Sales Effectiveness – Presentation Takeaways
The 4 R’s for Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring
Resume – Check resumes and note if the salesperson changed companies frequently over their career. This could be a red flag. Don’t limit yourself by hiring only those with industry experience – raw talent can be coached to perform well in your industry.
Rapport – Ask questions during the interview that reveal a candidate’s attitude and soft skills, and make sure they’re in line with the job’s requirements. Don’t just hire someone because you got along with them.
References – If you’re not following up with references, start. Ask for former managers and customers and follow up with them. Ask: “If you could coach this salesperson to be more effective, what would you do?” or “Tell me about a time when you weren’t planning to purchase something and this salesperson convinced you to.”
Report – This is the step many hiring managers neglect, and that’s a mistake. Be sure you’re using some sort of comprehensive, whole-person hiring assessment to understand if a candidate has what it takes to do the job and do it well.
The 4 Best Practices for Onboarding and Retention
Review Assessment Results Together – Reviewing assessment results with your new hire will help their self-awareness and reveal their growth opportunities. Having the manager and direct report’s communication preferences out in the open creates an effective work environment.
Set Goals – Work with your new hire to create 30, 60, and 90-day goals. Let them create the goals – “We support what we help create.”
Set Clear Expectations – A new hire needs to know what high performance looks like. Review company guidelines, standards for work, and communication channels. Set MEASURABLE milestones.
Train with the Skills Necessary for High Performance – Don’t let your new rep out into the field to “wing it.” Provide adequate product training and train them with a buyer-focused sales process.
The 3 Steps to Effective Sales Coaching
Ask, Don’t Tell – After a joint call, ask your rep what they think went well and what they think could be improved next time. This interactive approach will help their growth process.
Less is More – Resist bringing up every improvement you think your rep can make. It will discourage them. Instead, focus on just a few items that will have the biggest impact.
Consistent Cadence – If you’re not holding weekly or bi-weekly one-to-one coaching sessions with your reps, start. Don’t cancel the meetings, prioritize them.
Bonus Coaching Tip: The 3-2-1 Method
To avoid your reps knocking on your door with every issue they have, follow this approach:
3 – Have them describe the issue in 3 minutes or less
2 – Have them offer 2 potential solutions to the issue.
1 – Have them tell you which 1 solution they think is the best option.
If your rep consistently chooses the best solution, you’ll eventually be able to tell them – “You got this! I trust your judgement.” They’ll feel empowered, and you’ll gain precious time back.
Set Your Team Apart with Skills Training
A sales force that can set your organization apart from the competition must have the skills needed to consult with buyers and guide them through each stage of the sales process.
The IMPACT Selling system teaches sales reps a 6-step, buyer-focused sales process that can be applied to sell virtually any product or service.
Soft Skills Behavioral Interview Questions
Having an idea of the soft skills a specific position requires will help you determine whether a candidate is a good fit or not. Download our list of suggested behavioral interview questions related to specific soft skills such as:
- Self Management
- Planning and Organizing
- Conceptual Thinking
- And more!
