By Michael Fanghella
This is a topic where we could get lost pretty quickly as the sands shift almost daily and a new idea promotes a new strategy as quickly. But rather than go there I am going to suggest we look at just taking the issue at hand simply.
You spend lots of money to hire and train if needed sales personnel. But have you made clear to them what you desire as a result from them and have they done the same with you? Or has it been a sales effort by you when you were impressed with the candidate in front of you. Often we get caught up in what we want so much we forget to review what we need.
If you can’t explain to a new hire or a veteran who is anticipating coming on board for employ what your company does in 30 seconds or less, be able in that discussion, explain what the company’s desired results are and allow the candidate to speak freely to see how they can achieve them, how can you expect them to figure it out on their own. Truly you need to answer the following issues internally before asking your newest employee to charge out there. I find it amazing how many hiring directors hire without making sure of the prospect that everyone is on the same page. Little things like who does he/she speak to when there are questions, where else in the organization can answers be gotten. What procedures for pursuing and accomplishing the results so mutually set out are and what means of sitting down to review them by and between both of you to see if results aren’t forth coming have they been followed on both your accounts. Often I will see the hiring entity explain away the question because honestly they have never thought about it. They are too worried about “do you have industry contacts or background”. I have seen more great sales people fail because they went to the next level with a firm that was not connected to the procedure to ensure success concept by having it mapped out. Without a good process the sales person will in all probability fail.
This may mean that if the employee is off course a few adjustments can have a beneficial effect because when in review either they or you are off the guidelines as to what was originally discussed. But that those procedures were set out to allow this analysis and correction on a weekly basis. How often do we hear where a salesperson gets a 30 day probation notice after 60 days being there? Were any procedures reviewed, did the manager sit down and review as to whether or not he and the company were fulfilling the compact by and between both parties. You waited 60 days before noticing? What it really means is that you don’t have a procedural guideline for this sales person to follow.
I have built multiple sales teams successfully because of this basic concept. I have multiple sales efforts fail because of its absence. Sales people like structure, they want and need feedback, want to understand how they fit in. Most of the time we hire them and throw them into the that red ocean of competition without a thought or plan as to how that one person will meet both you and their results by procedure. It is like golf, you only have to miss the ball by a degree for it to land in the rough.
You see there is this leap of faith that says as an employee, “I will work and give you my best effort on the proposition that you will pay me for that time”. But it goes much further than that. It really goes to whether the employer really has their act together, has a strong vision and a result in mind that calls for procedures to be in place so that when hiring someone they can start working immediately on meeting the result driven thought process versus doing what we have all seen in the past spending time building a lead generation system on his/her own, spending as much time branding the company as being able to sell the products or services available and having a mutual respect process that keeps everyone on their game. As too often the whole result driven paradigm at the moment is on the shoulders of the salesperson to meet expectations that while they may have bought in on they had no say so in the how to get there.
One of the worse things I heard from a marketing person that worked for us was I don’t now what do to make it better, can you tell me. Well eventually I did it is what spurred my beliefs as you see them today. I was not going to waste our training expenses just to go out and repeat the mistake. In doing so this person latterly was transformed over night into being the most successful marketing assistant and from where her territory sales people wanted to get rid of her she was nominated for employee of the year. It is not rocket science, but you do have to care as much as you say you do.
This concept I speak of and the one utilized with my employee is based upon the book I believe is one of the best guides ever printed and if you get the chance read it and get the CD to listen in your car on the way to work. Stephen Covey of Franklin Covey has been at the forefront of this thinking for years and his book Principled Centered Leadership is to me at least its bible.
It is much more complicate than just this but….If you have been following this blog you know I started out preaching the need for vision and then a mission statement then once achieved the focus starts getting narrower.
So stop today before you go on Craigslist or LinkedIn to place that ad and ask yourself, “Am I hiring a person to do what?, and am I am hiring them because I know how we want it done?, and am I providing this person with the resources when they have questions to learn? and am I committed to this being a successful hire because we will have accountability sessions where we review the whole process including my effort and what we have promised.
If you do this, your interviews will be much more focused and your hires will understand why they are there and when the process is followed goals and results will not get away from you. If you would like more information this and other thoughts about your hiring strategy call us at 619 550 1198 or email me at Michael@santafeadvisoryservices.com
