Are you testing sales candidates BEFORE you interview? Certainly, you should be testing before you hire them, but are you testing before you interview?
I saw a stat a few years ago that 23% of what you need to find out about a sales candidate, to determine if they're going to work out or not, is based on the actual interview you have with them. 77% of what you need to find out about that salesperson is not easily observable in an interview. It's their history, their resume, their references, their fit with you culturally, etc.
One of the keys to a successful new sales hire is in testing.
Are you testing for those hidden weaknesses and strengths that lie below the surface?
It’s kind of like if you were to do surgery without an x-ray. In many cases that would be malpractice. You don't just cut someone open without doing some kind of 'x-ray level' of testing.
I want you to really look at the true cost of the wrong hire over time.
Many sales managers say:
“Hey, it's my gut. My gut tells me they're going to work out.”
Or
“They have a lot of experience in our industry.”
Or
“I've known them for years.”
Or
"They've got a lot of names in their contact list that they can call."
Those all might be factors that help them succeed, but the hidden things below the surface are the things that you're not going to find without some kind of validated tests.
We have a couple of tests that we can connect you with if you don't have them. But often times you already have the tests, you just need to make sure you're using them. Make sure you're making it part of your process.
The key is to do it before you interview. If someone is not hireable, someone's not recommended to be hired, why would you interview them? Why would you waste your time, your effort, your mind share and your attention on somebody who wouldn’t pass your validated test? Why would you interview them and only find out after, that you shouldn't hire them?
I want you to test, and test early. Test early in the process, don't waste your time. When you have the test results for the interview, you're able to ask much better questions. You’ll have data and will be able to see and observe how accurate the data looks. The data will tell you “Here's the kinds of questions you should be asking.”
What's your improvement with testing? Is it to implement it, to get back to it because you got away from it or is to just become better at using it in your overall hiring process?
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Check out some of my recent blog posts:
The Cost Of Changing Suppliers
You're Always Communicating In Sales
Stop Caring About Their GPA's In Sales