Welcome to the next decade!
If you’re anything at all like most people, you’ve taken at least a few moments to think about your resolutions for the new year. Maybe you’re going to finally use that gym membership you’ve been paying $79.95 a month for (for the past three years), or perhaps you’ve resolved to stop [...]
Being from Chicago, where venturing outside during 7 out of every 12 months can give you hypothermia, it was a welcome relief this week to be in New Orleans for the Fortune Small Business Conference, where the weather has been fantastic. The focus was on sales and marketing, and several of the speakers honed in [...]
Craigslist Syndrome (def) n. A time-sucking, emotionally draining, focus-killing condition that impacts small businesses; directly caused by posting job ads on Craigslist and subsequently receiving over 500 resumes within 24 hours, 10 of which are actually qualified for the job posted; also known as CLS.
Does your company suffer from Craigslist Syndrome? To self-diagnose this business-crippling [...]
In Part 1 and Part 2, we discussed why hiring salespeople is so difficult, and what to look for when reviewing a sales resume. Here, I’ll share with you the “rubber meeting the road” part of the process - the interview.
Sales interviews are a challenge to run if you’re not sure what to ask. That’s why I recommend coming armed with [...]
In Part 1 of this series on hiring salespeople, we explored the various reasons why hiring salespeople is so difficult. Here, we’ll discuss some tips and tricks for properly reviewing the resume of a potential sales hire.
All managers have made a hiring mistake at one time or another. My experience in interviewing sales talent on [...]
Business managers, particularly entrepreneurs and small business owners, have a downright awful track record when it comes to hiring sales talent. When you hire the right sales resource, you see instant results and amazing things begin to happen. On the other hand, when you hire a mediocre (or worse) salesperson, you shell out paycheck after paycheck and begin to feel like you’re [...]
“How do I get better at hiring?” That’s the question I’m most often asked. Here are five suggestions that will dramatically improve your hiring skills:
Practice! Do more interviews. Interviewing is a skill, and the only proven way to improve a skill is through practice, practice, and more practice. Don’t expect to make a quantum leap in your hiring [...]
You’ve just completed an exhaustive interview process with your candidate - a telephone screen, two personal interviews, reference checks, and the 30-60-90 day plan. You talked to the candidate on Friday, and they verbally accepted the position. “That all sounds great,” they said after hearing your verbal offer, “I look forward to reviewing your offer over the [...]
I think I’ve finally found a “foolproof” way to size up a potential employee. Matter of fact, I think this is a sure-fire way to size up just about anyone. Several leading business thinkers have written on this topic, including the great Jim Collins - so I’m in no way claiming ownership of this process [...]
In a previous post, I discussed the concept of giving your final candidate a homework assignment - the “30/60/90 Day Performance Plan.” In this post, we’ll discuss the process of evaluating their response.
If you followed my general guidelines, then your candidate has emailed you a document that’s about a page or two long, and contains a summary [...]