Here’s what I think about the subject of hiring salespeople.  I hope you can appreciate my perspective.  If not, oh well….

There are volumes of blogs, articles, books, seminars…you name it on how to sell, what do the best salespeople do, blah, blah, blah…Am I right?   But, I ask you,…how much time is devoted to how to hire and what kind of person will make a great salesperson, the person you need to produce and elevate your business to the next level?  The answer, in my observation – there is very little devoted to this topic and I think that’s where most companies waste lots of time and money on bad hires, loads of sales training…  I admit, I too have made my share of bad hires over the years.  But, I think I have the answer to this very critical task, finally.

We all tend to gravitate to people like us..you know the adage “birds of a feather tend to flock together….”….Well, I think many of us tend to hire people in our image.  That’s perfectly normal and rational thinking, right?   Well, it depends on who you are actually whether that strategy makes good sense.

If you read my page “About Me” you will know that I come from, let’s say, a challenging environment and I found my way to sales as a vocation that fits my personality.  It’s fast paced, there are intense adrenaline rushes when you close a deal, every day is different,….there is no limit on what you can accomplish….on and on and on….all of these things feed me.

So, what kind of person do I think makes the best salesperson?  You guessed it, people like me – smart, but not “Harvard” educated, ambitious, but not in the corporate sense, personable, but genuine, and most of all driven beyond imagination to fill a void that is so deep it can never be filled!  Sounds a little crazy right?  Well, I am no statistician, but my back of the envelope analysis leads me to this conclusion based on empirical evidence – the strong correlation of performance and this profile I am describing.  The person with the profile I am describing works harder than the next guy, does all the little extra things to win the deal…they never give up.  These are the type of people you want selling your service.

I talk to heads of sales, CEOs about the pangs of finding good salespeople, never mind great salespeople.  And I always tell them the same – I look for smart people who come from dysfunctional backgrounds, that are hungry!   They laugh…but, it’s true, they make the best salespeople.  They are also the toughest lot to manage, but that’s okay…I like that part too.

So if you are a sales manager and have an opening and you find yourself wading through a heap of resumes looking for the “perfect” fit, the right industry, the right years of experience,….look a little deeper and ask different questions that will get to the core – the key traits that will help you find a winner.  Let me know if you have the same results.

Sell to win.

Brick