Hiring Successful Salespeople: What to look for
Hiring successful salespeople is a priority for all companies. In my first week at Hewlett-Packard, Irene Bjorklund (GM Northwest Area) made a comment that has stayed with me throughout my career. Someone had asked her, “How do you know when a person will be successful at sales?” Her answer was, “They’re instantly relatable, they’re comfortable in their own skin and they know how they’ve been successful whether it’s in sales, school, sports or whatever they’ve done.”
I’m fortunate that Irene has remained a strong mentor throughout my career, even after we had both left HP. Through conversations with her and my own experiences, I’ve been able to shed more light on her memorable comments from those early days after she hired me at HP.
They’re instantly relatable – These are people who we want to talk with. They’re listening and responding in ways that show they’re interested in what we have to say. It’s a natural conversation where neither of us feel like we’re making an effort. Their presence is genuine which naturally attracts conversation because we have the opportunity to learn something – it’s simply enjoyable. This doesn’t mean they’re the most charming, attractive or charismatic person in the room, but rather that they’re engaging and instantly relatable. Time just flies.
They’re comfortable in their own skin – They’re confident not cocky. Psychologists tell us that the line between cockiness and confidence is thin in how people act, but stark in the way they’ll perform. In a 2012 article on psychcentral.com John Grohol writes, “Arrogance is one result of building self-esteem from outward sources such as financial privilege or constant praise. However, yank the external support system away, and the person’s sense of self-worth goes with it.” We’re looking for salespeople whose self-esteem is built from within and we find them in people who aren’t overly connected to material possessions or any professional position they may hold. They are confident no matter what they have and no matter what they do.
They know how they’ve been successful – They can tell you what they’re good at, why they’re good and describe how they do it in simple and clear language that teaches the listener how they can apply the knowledge to their own success. In other words, successful salespeople are good at teaching others how to be more successful. It’s standard in all interviews to ask people about their successes and failures. The mark of a good salesperson is when they can tell you why they are successful in ways that allow them to repeat their wins and not repeat their failures.
People who are naturally relatable, confident not cocky, and self-aware are the ones who are destined to be successful salespeople. Hire them before they leave the building so you don’t end up selling against them.
©2016 Rick Wong – The Five Abilities® LLC