Creating Curb Appeal When Interviewing Sales Executives
We have all heard about curb appeal. You dress up the outside of your home to look good for prospective buyers. What does the inside of the house look like? Is the house open to a family of four? Can you host a dinner party? Is the house organized? Does the inside of the house fit who you and who your family are? Does the curb appeal of this house correlate to your next home?
Searching for your first or next home happens daily across the country and in our offices at Trelevate we open our homes on a weekly basis. It is called an interview.
The traditional interview process at most companies is very similar. Companies create curb appeal, however when you really look where you are going to live the next several years of your life do you show the nuances of the home?
Not Your Typical Interview Process
During our interview process, we are not selling a home, we are offering people an opportunity to move in. At times, we have a full schedule of sales executive interviews in a day that are back-to-back. How can we engage during this process to find the right fit for us and for each candidate?
Focus on the Individual
Each candidate is evaluated on their own merit. Do they have the Character, Competency and Commitment for this opportunity? The three C’s are crucial in our evaluation process but there is a fourth C and it pertains to the group. Will they build upon the Chemistry of our team?
Finding these characteristics in outsourced sales teams requires a lot of questions about candidates. Resumes and job history are what you have done but let’s talk about what you want to do. Everyone has unique abilities. Take time in between interviews to give proper evaluation to each candidate and how their unique abilities fit our team.
Evaluation Takes Time
Evaluation takes proper consideration so we don’t run one person in immediately after the other. Give yourself time to recoup so you have a clear mindset and give each candidate equal opportunity
Take notes during and after each interview while they are fresh in your mind. We always forget the nuances of conversations and that one little spark that a candidate brought to the table that we as coaches can turn into a bonfire.
Don’t pigeon hole someone into a slam dunk or no chance at this opportunity, you limit the creativeness of the sales process for them, you and your team.
Engage on a level that talks about individual’s passions. This is key to keeping engaged in the interview process. Passion brings out great conversations and keeps each conversation unique and fast paced.
Make it Fun
Have fun during the interview process. If I can’t have fun in what I am doing I am in the wrong position. Part of my job is to find good people for my sales teams. It is my responsibility to bring out the abilities in others. That is leadership in an interview.
Find a point of connection with your candidate. Commonality brings out great conversation. Great conversation gets to the root of what drives people. I want someone that can be motivated but I need to find out how. Finding out how by asking great questions to bring out passion in people will always keep you engaged in the interview process.
Your next conversation can not only change everything for the person across the table from you but the person that you look at in the mirror every morning.
Now, I don’t know your business so I cannot give you the questions to ask. But I don’t need to know your business. I will hire you if you can communicate, smile and have that spark. It is our job as coaches and leaders at Trelevate to provide the oxygen. If I cannot engage in a meaningful conversation then I am just showing a house that someone may rent rather than a place they can call home.
This house you see won’t cost you a penny. It will take some investment. Can I ask you some questions?
Sean Carroll
Director of Regional Sales