| LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY... The success or | | | | situation similar to one they will face on |
| failure of your sales team can make or break | | | | the job, e.g. approaching a prospect. |
| an organization. That places an even greater | | | | |
| emphasis on hiring high quality sales | | | | • Forget your instincts during |
| professionals. Yet that's a skill very few | | | | the interview - Do not go by "gut" feelings |
| managers, executives and even fellow sales | | | | or instincts during the interview process. Go |
| professionals possess. With his sales | | | | by what you hear and see. You're not only |
| coaching franchise, Dr. Keith Winfree, | | | | looking for the qualities you wrote down |
| founder of Winfree Business Growth Advisors, | | | | earlier, but also potential weaknesses that |
| covers some basic steps hiring managers can | | | | might impact their selling skills. |
| follow to make better selections with sales | | | | |
| hires. | | | | • Make your sales staff part of |
| | | | your recruiting efforts - offer generous |
| "A bad hire can cost nearly $27,000 in | | | | incentives to your employees for referrals |
| initial hiring expenses and just a few months | | | | who become part of your sales force for six |
| of a modest salary/commission ($4000 per | | | | months or more. |
| month) and benefits. That's not including the | | | | |
| costs you can't measure like the damage a | | | | "Probably the biggest reason for bad hires |
| mediocre or bad hire can do to your firm's | | | | comes from hiring out of need," said Winfree. |
| reputation with existing clients or | | | | "While it's important to replace staff that |
| prospective ones," said Winfree. "Making a | | | | leaves your company, you never want to hire |
| good hire, like anything else, means putting | | | | out of necessity because you'll literally pay |
| systems in place to make that happen." | | | | for it in the long run. By only filling |
| | | | openings with people who meet your standards, |
| Some of the processes Winfree recommends: | | | | you're raising the bar for your company and |
| | | | keeping it there for the people currently on |
| • Identifying your ideal sales | | | | your sales staff." |
| rep - write down all the qualities and | | | | |
| characteristics you're looking for and set up | | | | In addition to coaching advice on how to |
| benchmarks. Look to either the best sales | | | | recruit and hire sales people, Winfree |
| reps in your industry or the best one in your | | | | Business Growth Advisors sales coaching |
| company as a model. Make sure you include | | | | franchises offer: sales training, sales |
| those qualities and characteristics in any | | | | management training, sales coaching, business |
| classified ads or job descriptions you post. | | | | development coaching, owner coaching, |
| | | | seminars, advice to owners on growth issues |
| • Tailor your interview process | | | | for their businesses and exit strategies and |
| for the sales rep -Most people interviewing | | | | succession planning for their companies. Yet |
| for a sales position can dance around typical | | | | it's Winfree's five-phase, 12-element Black |
| interview questions. Set up a portion of your | | | | Belt System-with Results |
| interview process for role-playing to see how | | | | Guaranteed!Â(R)--that converts Winfree |
| a candidate conducts himself or herself in a | | | | clients into advocates and franchise owners. |