34fifty

Team Lead

What is the best way to hire a sales person?

Engineering teams recruit off hackathons which seems to be a step forward from regular interviews. The most out of the box thing I've done is recruit a competitor's sales guy who was killing it. But he just never fit into our organisation well. So the question is, what's an off beat way to spot good sales talent?

👥 Hiring

🧢 Sales Management

🤝 Interviewing/Offer

42 comments

Sort by:

softwaresails

Politicker

Sales Manager

I like checking references. And role playing prospecting / closing. I like to give a couple things they did great on and a couple of things to improve on. Then we role play again and I pay attention to whether or not they made changes and improved in the areas I suggested. The ability to be coached and to adapt is something that can’t be taught.

KPIMaster

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

As someone who just went through an intense interview process only to end with a presentation that was basically a firing squad, I would much prefer this. I like to bounce ideas off my manager/director, not have to guess what everyone is thinking.

softwaresails

Politicker

Sales Manager

Sorry to hear about your experience! Hopefully the next round of interviews you go is in line with a format you are more comfortable with.

KPIMaster

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

Appreciate it, still working in my EAE role, but have decided to look for other opportunities, which likely isn’t the best timing with how everything is thrown off by COVID.

Salespreuner

Big Shot

Regional Sales Director

Works well, too🔥

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

True. Something that gets overlooked in most interviews imo

Incognito

WR Officer

Master of Disaster

Easy. Hire a sales “gal”, right @GeneralCorp ?

Smithy

Politicker

Director of Sales

Have a process that suits the actual job.

I think it’s tougher than engineering, as even if you like what someone says on something like LI, WR or any sales forum; they not do the same in reality.

Salespreuner

Big Shot

Regional Sales Director

Authenticity check, helps for sure. May be references for this will lead to authentic stuff of the candidate

breezyboiii

Politicker

Sales Boiii

I like to ask them to sell themselves...
I figure if they have the basics for selling down pat and they seem like a good cultural fit then they can be educated on the product along the way.

Salespreuner

Big Shot

Regional Sales Director

Good approach 💯

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

Interesting approach

privateryan

Politicker

Director of Sales

Call me old school but I just make sure they can sell a pen to me and ask them if they love to win or hate to lose...

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

Tried and tested!

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Ok old school 😎

Salespreuner

Big Shot

Regional Sales Director

Reference check both closed client side and company side, gives clarity about the candidate better. And off company references do well, too. Social handle check gives an understanding how the candidate is in terms of knowledge base and recos he has piled from his clients
Networking summits have impressed too. I remember giving a lead for CS team at my org from an event

goose

Politicker

Sales Executive

Have you ever recruited people?

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

Yes i have.

goose

Politicker

Sales Executive

Cool. So, the offbeat way to spot good sales talent is consistency. I've always followed the advice of "hire slow, fire fast". If you are comfortable with a person after several conversations, interactions and reference checks you'll get a better feel for them.

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

Interesting. Should look to bring this into action

paddy

WR Officer

Director of Business Development

Just briefly peruse their resume to make sure it's somewhat authentic. Then determine their chill-to-pull ratio. Lastly, if they can sell you a pen on the spot, hire them.

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

Just when i thought that sell me the pen was getting outdated!

CoastLife

Good Citizen

Large Enterprise Sales

Your company probably buys lots of software. Which AEs did an amazing job selling to you?

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

Interesting approach. thanks!

MandaMustWin

Good Citizen

Major Accounts District Manager

Sales *person

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

Yeah. My bad. Edited it. No harm intended.

MandaMustWin

Good Citizen

Major Accounts District Manager

haha! I'm just being facetious! Kudos on editing!

Dr.Sales

Executive

Research is clear on the subject. You have the same odds of success picking someone from a hat than following the current hiring process. See Frank Cespedes

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

I found the article on HBR. Thanks!

ClosingTime

Good Citizen

Sales Director

When getting towards a final panel interview, I always give the candidate a brief to present a pitch of our solution back to us but intentionally leave something too ambiguous or confusing to see if they push back and have the confidence/ ability to define goals and what good looks like. It gives a pretty clear view of whether someone just rolls with what a prospect says, or actually stands up to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Beyond that, referrals and your network will give you a better candidate than anyone coming to you cold. Most of my team came recommended or I'd worked with in some capacity prior to joining.

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

This is interesting! Thanks!

Blackwargreymon

Politicker

MDR

Have a process that suits the actual job.

Clashingsoulsspell

Politicker

ISR

I like checking references. And role playing prospecting / closing.

SDMHGWarrior

Tycoon

CEO

Friend of Corp...

beginner

Old School Bravo

Sales Leader

Read the female applicants resumes first.

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

I'd get into trouble if I did that. Wouldn't i?

UserNotFound

Politicker

Account Executive

@34fifty I think the point is... your post is all in reference to sales "guy" effectively screening out females so you should cognitively challenge that and put women at the forefront of your thought process.

34fifty

Valued Contributor

Team Lead

Yeah I figured. I should have used the term sales person instead. My bad. But TIL that I can edit a post. So yeah, I've fixed it!

salesteamsix

Fire Starter

Head of Sales

I am a big fan of quick hires. No need to interview someone for hours. If there is a click hire them probationally and see if it works out. IMO the best way to evaluate a salesperson is to see their work.

Clemax

VP Sales

Most responses are interviewing tips.
The question, if I interpreted correctly was more, where to find good sales talent?

My 2 cents :

- somebody that has sold software to you

- clients / ambassadors of your product : nobody understands the problem that you solve better than a client who has used your product.

In a response to everyone saying 'sell me this pen'. Seriously?

1. There are a lot of great answers to be found online. So you are not really going to be testing more than the fact they prepared well and expected you to ask this question.

2. So much better to let them choose something that they themselves are really big believers in. I've had great discussions on why I should get a Poodle as my next dog or why my next vacation needs to be to Saudi Arabia.

Some of my personal favorites to ask during an interview :

- Convince me of something I should start doing / buy, that I don't do as of today. (See above) Most people just start pitching.

- How did you prepare for this interview? What do you know about me?

- If you could close a 100k deal, but you know they will churn at renewal because of the product. Would you do it?

Flippinghubs

Opinionated

Account Executive

Kidding aside, role playing is really the best way ive found to "stress test" potential hires

MR.StretchISR

Politicker

ISR

Bravado is a community of trusted sales professionals endorsed by their customers.

Products

The War Room Jobs Salary Guide Tech Sales U

Company

About Us How It Works Blog Bug Bounty

Contact

Press Careers

If you are hired as a contract sales rep by a Bravado customer, we may ask you to prove access to the employee email account provided to you by that customer. This data will be shared with customers to track your sales productivity; customers can use this data to confirm you meet the minimum activity requirements to pay out your ramp stipend and commission.

34fifty

What is the best way to hire a sales person?

42 comments

Related posts

Best qualities in a sales hire?

VP/Director of Sales, if I want to sell to you, what is the best way to reach out?

Best way to Hire Sales people