(By Michael Doyle) Most of the media managers I talk to these days are searching to fill up their sales departments. Downsized during the pandemic, these managers realize they don’t have enough sellers to create demand on their inventory and accomplish their objectives.
The problem is desperation for talent sometimes creates more problems. You must hire, but you must hire the right people. For years in media, we confused the biggest billing sales reps with being the best sales reps. That may be true in some cases, but often it is not. So here are the steps you need to take, and the key things you need to look for to rebuild your sales organization.
1. Have a process. Make it fast. You are in competition for candidates, you can’t expect they will come back three or four times before you get serious. Here are some steps.
a. Start with a quick phone screener interview – or zoom.
b. If they pass the basic test, and you want to meet face to face, schedule at least two face to face interviews on the same day. Two different managers, asking two different sets of questions so you can maximize their time, and yours.
2. Understand what talents you are looking for. Dr. Don Clifton once wrote an allegory about animals in the forest setting up their own school. I’ll save you the whole story, but the moral was, “If you need a swimmer, hire a fish.” Are you looking for a new business developer? An agency negotiator? A digital first seller? Define the role so you can define the talent and experience you need.
3. Ask the right questions. Too many sales managers are horrible interviewers. You need set questions; you need to ask them and take notes. As one of the hiring managers, you need to ask questions, and then shut up and let the candidate talk.
4. Ask all questions with the opening: “Tell me about a time….” For example, tell me about a time in your life when you overcame an obstacle….” You want examples, not their philosophy on life. What did they do, did it work, do you believe them?
5. Follow up each of their short answers with a simple phrase: ”Tell me more.” As a journalism student, I was taught to ask the question, hold the microphone out, and shut up. Pause. Listen. Pause more. What do they say?
6. Two talents that are critical. Persuasion. Curiosity. Do you have questions that focus on these talents?
a. “Tell me about a time when your opinion was not the prevailing opinion in the room. Did you share your opinion?”
b. “People have a right to their own opinion. Do you have a right to change their opinion?”
c. “If you saw one of those historical markers on the side of a road you drove by all the time, are you the kind of person who would stop and read it one day or would you just ignore it? Why?”
d. “Do you have any questions for me?” If they don’t have any questions for you, or very few, perhaps they are not curious.
These aren’t the only things you need to focus on to hire, but it’s a start. There are all kinds of great salespeople, with different backgrounds and talents. Having a system and focusing on hiring the right person is critical.
Not hiring is bad. Hiring the wrong person is worse.
For nearly 40 years, Michael Doyle, The Sales MD, has been hiring, training and developing sellers and sales managers around the United States. The success of your business is tied to the success of your sales team. Contact The Sales MD at: [email protected] .
