When asked which management activity is most critical to the success of the sales team, 97% of Executive Sales Managers nationwide rated Talent Identification and Acquisition as “extremely important” or “important.” No big surprises.
During my daily conversations with Executive Sales Managers, the discussions and debates inevitably revolve around talent. The people on our sales teams command our time and attention, and for the right reasons. My intention is not to recommend that this change; In fact, it is the opposite. We need to continue to find ways to get more out of our human capital. That’s what extraordinary sales coaching is all about: incremental gains in performance. However, when it comes to identifying talent, Executive Sales Managers must recognize that these gains can be hindered by an individual’s ability, or in other words, her talent. As Sales Managers, we need to help all of our team members improve, but you’ll get better results if you start with those who already have the “right stuff.” The production potential of a sales team is determined by referral talent, for which senior sales managers are responsible.
These are some of the best practices I have used and have observed others use with significant success. Success is defined here as a steady stream of the right sales talent, with a minimum amount of time during which open positions go unfilled. I will defer quoting statistics on what it costs to convert a sales employee or the cost of an open sales territory, acknowledging that you already have a deep understanding of the value of long-term, high-performing associates on your sales team. .
ABR (always recruiting) Although 97% of Sales Managers agree on the importance of talent, very few sales departments have what I would say is a “talent identification and acquisition culture”. I am in contact with Executive Sales Managers every day and witness firsthand that identifying and acquiring sales talent has not been proactive, but rather a reactive response to a termination and/or need for expansion. The preponderance of those in sales management roles have not been identified, nor do they have recruiting lines in the water at the best fishing spots. Ask your sales management team the question “If you have a layoff tomorrow, do you have an identified candidate or list of candidates who I could contact to immediately begin the recruiting process?” It’s not until we lose someone on our sales team that calls are sent to recruiters, Linked-In is accessed, internal company emails are sent, etc. But every Sales Manager should have a duty to have several prospects already identified and, to a certain extent, shortlisted. One thing to aim for is for each sales manager to have lunch, coffee, or a drink once a month with a prospect who might fit on her team. Right now, measure the average time a territory stays open and see if you can reduce it by 50%. If you did, how much would you save in lost income?
Understand the kind of talent you can acquire Whether you know it or not, you may be limiting the quality of talent you attract. Many factors come into play here. Compensation, market competition, your company’s reputation, and the quality of your existing sales trainers/managers can affect your ability to attract and acquire the very best. I once worked with an organization that said they only wanted the best talent, period. However, they didn’t seem to get what I would consider top-tier talent in sales and sales training. Further investigation showed that they did not have a training program for new hires that would allow them to bring in top talent. Because of this limitation, they instead had to bring “people into their business” and looked for “industry experience” instead of sales, training, and leadership talent. They settled for middle-aged salespeople who were happy with a $70,000-a-year plan. I haven’t come across many outstandingly talented middle-aged marketers who are satisfied with $70K/year. Our recommendation was to change the model and find a salesperson who was in their first sales job, someone who already had sales skills training in that job and would love the opportunity to increase their profits. Or create an internal training program that would teach the necessary skills so that “industry experience” was not a hiring requirement. Or be really avant-garde and do both! Be realistic and understand the demographics you need.
To illustrate this “experience” factor, consider Terry Pettit, the retired NCAA volleyball coach with the highest winning percentage of all time, and a former sales coaches’ summit instructor. When he started training in Nebraska, he was told that he could never win an NCAA championship because the best talent went to places like UCLA, Stanford, California and Hawaii. They told him that there was not enough talent available in the market. Rather than settle for national championships, Pettit redefined talent for the Nebraska program. He quickly determined that talents like speed, instinct, urgency, coordination, and competitiveness couldn’t be taught, but volleyball skills could. So, early in his coaching career, in his starting rotation, five of the six were high school high jump champions in their respective states, with little volleyball experience. He took raw talent over experience and created a dynasty.
Understand the talent limitations of your sales department and look for ways to eliminate or lift the lid. By the way, I will prioritize talent over experience every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Take control of your identification and acquisition process This is not a human resources responsibility; it is its responsibility, and the responsibility of each Sales Manager in your team. Human Resources may not have goals and bonuses tied to the sales department having all the spots filled with the best talent, but Executive Sales Managers certainly do. When I recently asked an executive sales manager if HR was a big help, his response was, “They’re there when they want to be, but too often they’re too busy planning other things, like the company’s New Year’s Eve party.” “. This is not to say that you don’t partner with Human Resources for assistance in the process, but your role is administrative in nature and is handled by the Executive Sales Manager. Some human resources departments may serve as exceptions, but not many.
Another point of importance that should be obvious, but that few think or act on, is that the person who is your top recruiter is the face of your company, and certainly the face of the sales department. Make sure the “face” attracts talent. This person must be able to sell (assess the qualities of a great recruiter), dress well, and possess a strong executive presence. We can all relate to meeting those people with an “aura” that is attractive, not just physically but in a way that makes us want to learn more about that person. This aura should be exemplified in your lead recruiter.
Science-based assessment work Do not be naive and think that you can select better without an evaluation. In a related newsletter article this month, Danita Bye references a University of Michigan study that reveals that interviews account for nearly 90% of hiring decisions, but were found to be only 14% accurate in hiring. the prediction of success. 14% sucks! Dr. Susan Hirt of Talent Plus shows that the highest correlation for predicting job success is using science-based assessments of structured interviews. Like almost everything else in our world today, research is forcing us to look closely at ways to make assessments more accurate and predictable in terms of success. Sales managers need to constantly refine their approach to recruiting sales department talent. And don’t think for a minute that assessment tools should be used only to identify the best sellers; use them for all roles on your sales team. These tools are certainly not the only determinant of selection, but they should account for about 33% of the decision. The other two thirds are divided between personal interviews and reference checks.
Put these pieces together and, speaking from experience, your offer to take ratio should be over 90%. Whether or not your new sales talent sticks around and performs is up to you and your team’s ability to train, which is another critical component of maximizing the sales team.