Episode 122: How to Design a Sales Hiring Process That Works

Hosts Doug and Jess discuss the complexities of hiring salespeople in today’s evolving market. They explore the misconceptions about sales hires, the importance of defining roles and processes, and the significant impact of hiring decisions on business success. 

Audio:

Video:

Additional Resources

• NOW ON AUDIOBOOK: The Revenue Acceleration Framework
• [Blog] 7 Reasons Hiring Salespeople is the Wrong First Step for Faster Growth
• [Blog] How to Increase Revenue (Without Hiring More Salespeople)

Show Notes:

Pre-Show Banter: 

• Jess relives her teenage dream at a Backstreet Boys concert—complete with handshakes, high-fives, and even a few hugs from the band members themselves.
• Meanwhile, Doug and Jess chat about The Sphere as a concert venue. Jess loved the experience, but Doug’s still waiting for an artist impressive enough to get him there.

Main Discussion Points:

• Complexity of Sales Hires: Hiring salespeople can be one of the most challenging tasks for any organization due to the variance in sales roles and the unique demands of different business contexts. 
• Misconceptions in Hiring: A common misconception is that hiring a salesperson is the key solution to increasing sales without assessing other avenues for growth.
• Preparing for Talent: The necessity to have a clearly defined sales process and customer acquisition strategy before hiring can mitigate risks associated with new hires. 
• The Interview Process: The importance of candidate questioning during interviews can reflect their potential sales effectiveness, as the interview itself is a sales process. 
• Cultural Fit vs. Sales Skills: Finding the right balance between cultural fit and sales skills is crucial, as a good salesperson may stretch and enhance the company culture. 
• 7-Step Sales Hiring Framework: 
  • 1. Assess your current team and needs
  • 2. Define desired results
  • 3. Build a candidate profile
  • 4. Create a hiring and recruitment plan
  • 5. Interview and test
  • 6. Make the hire
  • 7. Implement training and integration
• Key Traits to Assess for in Hiring: Curiosity, Command, Coachability, Context Creation

Jess's Takeaways: 

• Make sure you’re accounting for the salesperson ramp and the sales cycle time. 
• Salespeople should not be defining your sales process, so make sure you’re defining that and clearly defining the role before you hire.
• Look at the questions the salesperson asks in the interview. 
• The interview is a sales process. Think of it that way. Take that approach. 
• The single most difficult hire in business is the first salesperson.

Next Steps:

• Follow Jess, Doug & Lift on socials for updates on the show or other insights: 

  • Doug Davidoff LinkedIn

  • Jess Cardenas LinkedIn

  • Lift Enablement LinkedIn

• Follow the show on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

• Subscribe to The RevOps Show YouTube channel

• Coming Soon Episode 123!