One of the trickiest hires is the sales rep. A good sales rep and a bad sales rep often share the ability to perform on command in an interview. The difference is that the bad sales rep may be able to make a good sales impression but doesn’t do the other aspects of the sales process like organizing themselves, working extremely hard, following up in a timely fashion, taking direction etc. What are the clues that indicate these qualities? Everyone says they are a hard worker and great at followup. The proof often lies in the resume—I first look and talk in detail about their past sales to determine if they were actually successsful—and if not, why not? How do they rate themselves in each of the areas of the sales process—people are often very candid about their weaknesses—and sometimes it is a deal killer for their interview. Reference checks can sometimes be pointless but other times offer a clue. Hobbies can be a clue. Spend the time getting into the dull details in a sales interview and look beyond the obvious—it will be time well spent.
