XLR5

Sales Director

Creative hiring ideas?

I was just watching a video on the cost of wrong hires and will start a round soon, so I'd love to hear everyone's creative ideas for successfully hiring sales talent. I'll start.

Use Zoominfo/Linkedin Nav to narrow down people who mentioned your company, people who worked in the sector and could go sideways, or even people who are competitor's clients who could be upskilled.
Internal recruitment from product and tech support, although you won't be making friends.
Be friends with the RevOps Dir of othenr competitors and target their top sales talent.
Ask advice from integration and partnerships who also integrate/partner with competitors but are neutral (which BDMs are the best from the competition).

👥 Hiring

59 comments

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Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

You're starting a round of wrong hires?

XLR5

Catalyst

-1

Sales Director

I am indeed, please send me your cv via dm.

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Punctuation. Make sure its in the JD.

XLR5

Catalyst

Sales Director

My friend, there's no need to be pedantic on a forum or I could say the same about your use of apostrophes.

Why the negative attitude on a lovely Friday evening? I hope you have a better day tomorrow than you had today.

FoodForSales

Politicker

somebody doesn't get the joke.

XLR5

Catalyst

Sales Director

He edited the post, not entirely fair. But sure.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

🐺

Not so much for finding candidates, but one thing I’d ask is how much $ and time have you spent on self development in the past year. If they hesitate or don’t have a direct answer an exact dollar figure or direct course or books they’ve read. They’re not serious abt getting better in sales, they might be good, but a good employee is the worst employee to have bc they do their job so you can’t really just fire them, but they also don’t really take the company to the next level. Like I’d wanna see effort that you want to improve your skills and become the best you can be and not just rely on company training.

GDO

Politicker

BDM

Yeah that’s quite a good question

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-1

🐺

That’s also a question no candidate or most will be prepared to answer

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Not once in my career have I been asked what sales books I've read, or how much time and money I've spent on self development.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

🐺

I know, neither have I thats why no one’s prepared to answer it

XLR5

Catalyst

-1

Sales Director

Love this idea, thank you so much. It can say a lot about the candidate because even if they haven't invested in their own development, you are able to read their reaction/regret and how they deal with it.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Not sold on it as a great idea. There's a reason no one asks it. :/

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-3

🐺

Heard from Jeremy Miner he gives me a hard on every time I listen to him so that’s why

XLR5

Catalyst

Sales Director

What arguments against can you think of? I think it shows thought, empathy, and curiousity by the hiring manager.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

"How much of your own personal money do you throw at career development?" doesn't really show empathy IMO. It would signal to me that the interviewer and/or company either think I haven't done enough already to improve myself, OR, even worse, that they'll expect me to keep on using my own money to enable myself, when a good company invests in their staff. It would be a huge red flag to me as well.
Showing empathy and interest would be to ask about their favorite sale (and why) and their least favorite (and why), for example. Then you can learn more about how they think and how they deconstruct their own process. Calling it "favorite" rather than "biggest" or "best" leaves room for creativity. No tricks, just a conversation.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-3

🐺

I would respond with do you count alcohol?

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-4

🐺

Shows I’m witty, fun, overall nice guy to be around. Ever watch suits ?

XLR5

Catalyst

Sales Director

I wouldn't position it that way to be fair. I'd just say what time and effort have you put into personal development last week. I didn't think about it from the financial standpoint, but rather from the interest in personal development standpoint.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-2

🐺

Not bc there’s so many resources that are free like YouTube and if they were like yeah just watched this video actually abt xyz you see that they’re actually interested in sales. Most pple I think get in sales bc they fell into it, those are the pple I don’t want working for me IMO, I want the guy who wants to become the best salesperson even if his /her experience doesn’t show it. Like I’d take the person with effort and a determination over the person who has a good background. The wolf is hungrier at the bottom of the hill vs at the top of the hill.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I'd end up giving a totally snarky answer to the "what time and effort did you put into personal development last week", but that's the stage of life I'm in. My idea of PD is getting away from my (excellent, to be honest) job and decompressing. Not saying that there is nothing new to learn or that I'm stagnating, but that's the kind of question I scratch my head over.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-1

🐺

Well, pd can be anything you can literally say I just invested 10k into getting my pilots license ( something I’m currently working on) that shows you’re a constant learner. What you don’t want is someone is 10 years out of college saying I haven’t invested anytime into anything. The question is basically asking are you a constant learner, bc that’s someone you want on your sales team, you don’t want the guy who doesn’t do anything outside of work to better themselves and doesn’t invest in their work to become better.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-1

🐺

You basically are looking to see if they’re self motivated or not. Just a different way of asking it.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I think there's more value in finding out if they've invested in learning how to speak to the companies with which they'll be selling to, and not how to sell or be a salesperson. How to understand the prospect's business, the challenges, what's important to your ICP - heck, even understanding how to figure out your ICP. The rest is often reworked Challenger or Gap.
edit/clarity

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-1

🐺

Well that goes into the first question. If the answer is 0, but I learned XYZ from free resources or from my previous company you can get the idea that they’re a life long learner which most companies in their descriptions want a life long learner, it’s just a question that gives you an easy answer. You decide on the answer you want in what you’re looking for. That is one question that nobody asks though and so if you ask it no one is going to be prepared to answer. Bc they’re serial interviewers out there who have mastered every question but if you ask a question they’ve never heard before you’ll get to see them for who they truly are.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Seriously, why not just ask them what they’re interested in if you want to learn if they’re a life long learner?

Out of curiosity, have you ever hired someone, or sat on a hiring committee? Honestly, it’s best to be straightforward.

XLR5

Catalyst

Sales Director

Sorry I meant to say last year, not last week. Not sure how that'd change your answer. I think it's provocative, yes, but wouldn't cause a snarky reaction.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-2

🐺

On a hiring committee yes, hired somebody no. I’m just saying that is a question id ask to get the answer. If you just ask them that, everyone would say yes. By asking how much money specifically you can weed out if they’re lying or not.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-1

🐺

IMO it’s a great reaction @Sunbunny31 doesn’t think so 🥺

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Totally overthinking it. Asking about how much money? Come on.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Maybe? It’s mostly that asking about personal development just isn’t that interesting to me as a topic. And it’s not you - I’m inclined to be snarky in general.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I’m just one person disagreeing. It’s a matter of my opinion, which may be unhelpful in this situation. Others might agree with you. All good.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-2

🐺

Well no time too, it’s not just money, bc it’s more so just learning if they’re a life long learner. However they take it is how they take it. Like if it’s an SDR role and they said well I just spent 40k a year a college I would love that response vs the guy saying saying umm idk I think I bought a course for sales that cost $200. The question is more abt seing who can think on their feet bc most companies/ hiring managers don’t ask it

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

What is it about the money? The money doesn’t matter. Didn’t you say that somewhere upthread already? Some things aren’t inherently worth more because they cost more.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

-2

🐺

No it’s not the money, it’s the effort.

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Nor have I

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

You’re not just one. “What do you read?” Is just fine

DataCorrupter

Politicker

Account Executive

I’ve actually been asked this type of question a lot in interviews. These same questions get the idea, minus the money part: tell me about a deal you lost and what you learned, what sales blogs do you follow, what is some feedback you received recently and how are you applying it, etc.

Retired Sales Professional

I agree.

Retired Sales Professional

Personal development is never ending because the industries is always evolving.

Retired Sales Professional

Lol

Retired Sales Professional

Streaming on Netflix.😂

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Honestly, it’s the same idea as hobbies or interests, but those sound too frivolous, so new terminology is “personal development” with everything treated as though it’s earnest improvement rather than something we might just happen to do for fun.

I’m an artist. It’s not a side hustle (though I do get paid from time to time). I do it because I enjoy it. Full stop. Could we have a whole conversation about art? Yes, of course. We’d learn a lot about each other, too. I guess it could be considered personal development, but I don’t take it that seriously. I’m not doing it to better myself. I’m doing it because if I don’t stay busy, I’m likely to get in trouble. So if I’m asked a question about personal development, art is unlikely to come up. But if you ask me about what I enjoy - it probably will.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

🐺

Need more hobbies and alcohol can’t count as one of those bc that’s when the trouble starts.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

So you survived your Friday night plans. 😉

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

🐺

Barely. Got bitched slapped by this girls roommates bc I let their cat out (I didn’t know she had a cat), phone died couldn’t call an Uber, walked to Walgreens at 5 am to charge my phone, cashier gave me a free beer, cause she felt bad. First uber canceled bc he had a flat tire, left Walgreens at 6 am when I finally got an uber.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

🐺

Thank God for Walgreens

Retired Sales Professional

Free beer is always a plus, not matter what happens. 👍👍

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

🐺

An ice house as well.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

What a Friday night! Lol

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

🐺

Doing it again rn 🤭

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Hell of a thread that I missed.
I gotta say I agree with almost all you said, Bunny.

Definitely want to see some of your art though!

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

And that is how I dox myself. :)

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Just wishful thinking.. I know you're far too smart for that.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Someday when I no longer care … 😉

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Well now I don't want that day to come! :(

Retired Sales Professional

Change it from career development to personal development and your perspective changes. It's like going on a diet. Diets fail all the time, but when you flip the script and make it a change in life style then you start to live a healthier lifestyle. You don't need tones of money to start investing in personal development but once you do you will notice the projectile of your career will go up. Just my opinion. All the best.

ThatNewAE

Big Shot

Account Executive - Mid enterprise

Communities. There are multiple sales communities here and on LinkedIn - look for who post good content in there. Then interview them and see if they are worth the salt too.

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

Sales Rep

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XLR5

Creative hiring ideas?

59 comments

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