In this article, I'm going to teach you how to use the Who method to interview sales reps.
Sales reps are good at interviewing, which makes the evaluation process difficult. You need an interview method that uncovers the patterns that predict success.
Most people start with a search for "sales rep interview questions." They find the questions they like and then hire the candidate based on how they answer them.
When you hire based on patterns, you'll:
Here's how to do it:
The more objectivity you can add to the process, the less you'll fall victim to a great interviewer.
Start by mapping out what you're looking for:
These will keep you honest and focused on what to look for in the interview.
A scorecard will save you a ton of time when making the final decision. It's a good problem, but when you have three great candidates and only enough budget for two of them? You'll wish you had that scorecard.
There are plenty of people who are good at interviewing but do not perform in the job. Instead, the predictive information comes from how a person actually performs or how they have performed in the past. - Matt Mochary
Always start with a phone interview for two reasons. 1) Sales reps spend a lot of time on the phone, and how they present themselves over the phone matters. 2) Your time is valuable, and you can't afford to waste time on a bad fit. It's best for both parties.
I'm looking for someone career-motivated with a good idea of where they want to go. I want this position to align with their long-term goals.
I'm also assessing if they want to be in this role. They will not be a good fit if it's an outbound sales position, and they say they hate cold calling.
Lastly, I ask question 4 below but rarely add the "when we talk to them" part. Some people swear by it, but I seldom use it.
This is where the rubber meets the road. As I mentioned, look for patterns instead of how they exactly answer the question.
I pull out their resume and ask the questions in the picture below for every stop along their journey. I'm looking for specifics:
Most importantly, I'm looking for what a candidate needs to be successful. For example, a pattern emerged that they need a hands-on manager to succeed. If we're an early-stage company, odds are they won't get that until the company is further along. They could be a great fit in a year or two but will struggle in the company's current stage.
I learned this lesson the hard way. I love to recruit, and I'm not always the best at removing my biases. I always talk about the positives, but sometimes I need to go deeper into the challenges of the position.
Make it mandatory to have someone currently in the role interview the candidate. Tell the candidate that no question is off the table. Encourage the teammate to answer the questions with 100% transparency.
Let the teammate know exactly what you're looking for them to evaluate. The scorecard is your guide.
Remember to have the teammate log their answers in the scorecard after the interview.
(Bonus: It's a great activity for a candidate that's interested in leadership)
You're in the home stretch, love the candidate, and want to hire them on the spot. Before you do, always call the references.
Reference calls are where you confirm what you heard in the interview. The patterns will be clear. Make sure to ask questions about them.
The candidate also gave their areas for improvement. Dive into those.
By using this strategy, you'll cut through the noise and hire better sales reps. Hiring sales reps is tough, but having a repeatable interview process makes it 10x easier.
