Sales & Marketing Management - July/August 2008 - (Page 6)

BRIAN TRACY UNIVERSITY Think “slow and steady” for snaring top hires are not offering to pay enough in today’s market or the requirements for success are too onerous. Second, interview the person that you like at least three times. People always look excellent on the first interview. But when you insist on meeting with them again, they often don’t look as good as you remember. When you meet with them for the third time, you may well end up asking yourself, “What was I thinking?” Fifth, when you check references, speak to at least three different people. Almost always, the candidate will give you “sweetheart references” to people who will speak nicely about him. When you check the initial reference, make it a point to ask if there is anyone else who has worked with the candidate who you could speak to as well. When you do this, you will be passed on to someone who will give you a more honest opinion of the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. Finally, once you have carefully applied the Law of Three to each candidate, give yourself up to 30 days before making a final decision. Ask yourself, would you be happy coming into work Legendary speaker and author Harvey Mackay once interviewed 35 applicants for a sales job … only to then not hire any of them. Like all top sales managers, he knew it was much better to wait and get the right person. Many sales managers are impulsive, impatient and overloaded with work. As a result, they often look upon the hiring of a salesperson as a problem that they have to solve as quickly as possible. This can easily lead to hiring the wrong people and negative sales results. There is a Law of Three that I have applied to the hiring process throughout the years—one that, when followed, will enable you to make the right hiring decision in nearly every instance. The first part of the Law of Three dictates you should interview at least three candidates for any job. No matter how good a candidate looks, refuse to hire him the first time you meet him. If you cannot find three candidates, this will be an indication to you that the job specifications are too difficult. Either you Third, interview the person you like in three different places. In your office, the candidate could look excellent—positive, charming, friendly and possessing all the qualities that you seek. But when “It is absolutely amazing how often a candidate who looks excellent turns out to be someone with a lot of cleverly concealed problems.” you take the candidate down the hall to another room or across the street for coffee, it may be a different story. Fourth, and most importantly, have the candidate that you like interviewed by three different people in your company. It is absolutely amazing how often a candidate who looks excellent to you turns out to be someone with a lot of cleverly concealed problems— problems they’ll only slip up and reveal to people who they see as their peers and potential colleagues. and seeing this person for the next 20 years? Would you be comfortable inviting this person home to have dinner with you and your family on a regular basis? These questions sharpen your perspective and trigger your intuition, giving you a better feeling for whether or not you’re making the right choice. You have taken many years to reach your current level of knowledge, experience and wisdom. Hiring a new salesperson is where all your previous experience comes together. This is where the rubber meets the road. Brian Tracy is one of the top sales and management trainers in the world. He is president of Brian Tracy University online (www.briantracyu.com), which offers certificates in superior sales management and high performance selling. 6 SALES&MARKETING MANAGEMENT JULY/AUGUST 2008 www.salesandmarketing.com www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com http://www.briantracyu.com http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sales & Marketing Management - July/August 2008

Sales & Marketing Management - July/August 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Brian Tracy University Smart Sales Sales Strategy Smart Marketing Marketing Strategy Smart Management Management Strategy The Mother Lode of All Market Data Returns Embracing the Future Training Technology Incentives/Motivation Don't Become a Target Abroad Book Excerpt On the Road The Way I See It

Sales & Marketing Management - July/August 2008

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