Ten Actions That Can Ensure You Hire the Right Sales Professional
By Richard Libin, President, Automotive Profit Builders
APB.cc, rlibin@apb.cc
A meme making the social media circuit, which caught my attention called. It is called, “10 Things That Require Zero Talent.” When I first saw it I thought, the person who put this together may have read my first book, “Who Stopped the Sale?” as many of these points are emphasized throughout. Since then, I’ve thought about how simple and to the point it was, especially when it came to sales professionals. 
Here is the original list: 
1. Being on Time
2. Work Ethic
3. Effort
4. Body Language
5. Energy
6. Attitude
7. Passion
8. Be Coachable
9. Doing Extra
10. Being Prepared 
If sales professionals embraced these 10 actions every day, they would see an immediate improvement in their sales and overall success. In addition, these factors should be essential criteria job applicants offer a business, and more important by managers seeking to bring highly qualified professionals on to their teams or to promote from within. It’s this simple: if a manager doesn’t look for these 10 items they are more likely to hire the wrong person. Let’s look at each of these from this perspective. 
Being on Time
This alone should be a deal breaker. There are so many resources available today that help individuals plan routes and avoid construction and traffic, that there is no real excuse for being late. If a job candidate is late for an interview, a manager should wonder if they will show up to work or appointments on time after being hired? How can you rely on someone who can’t show up? 
Work Ethic
Delve into a candidates work history. Find out when they had their first job - starting early indicates a good work ethic. Find out what they did to prepare for the interview. Did they check the website, check Linkedin and do other research? The more preparation time put in before coming to the interview, the better their work ethic may be. 
Effort
An often-overlooked key to success is effort. Salespeople who put in extraordinary effort, who are willing to work harder than expected to achieve results, are simply more successful. Ask candidates what they do when faced with a situation where someone has told them no. What do they do when faced with seemingly unsurmountable challenges? 
Body Language
Proper body language can build confidence in coworkers and customers. Take notice whether or not the candidate maintains eye contact, speaks in a low, steady voice, uses their hands for emphasis not from nerves, smiles and offers a strong handshake. 
Energy
How a person contributes to their company is as important as what they contribute. A sales professional may have experience, knowledge, skill, and a history of success; however, without positive energy their skills cannot be fully realized. Pay attention to the person’s energy level. Are they positive or do come off as tired and bored?
Passion
Sales professionals who are passionate about their jobs are committed to consistently achieving higher levels of performance. Yet, according to Deloitte University Press, “Up to 87.7 percent of America’s workforce … doesn't have passion for their work. Less than 12.3 percent of America’s workforce possesses the attributes of worker passion.” Ask how did the candidate handled tough situations? Look for a desire for continual learning, improvement and challenge. Is the candidate willing to try new ideas and take risks that benefit an organization?
Coachable
This is the most important of the10 items. If a person is coachable, you can take their positive attributes and polish them into something even better. Does the candidate seem to have an answer for everything? Do they correct you or talk over you? Do they interrupt? If you offer a suggestion, do they listen or shrug it off? These are signs that an individual may not be coachable. If they aren’t, coachable, what you see is what you get.
Doing Extra
What beyond their assigned job responsibilities has the candidate done in their previous roles? Do they serve on committees? Do they lead teams? Are they involved in employee programs? Do they go the extra mile for customers and help solve problems? Or do they come in, work their hours and leave? Sales professionals who do extra are committed to being their best, to their customers and to their employers.
Being Prepared
Preparation is essential to performing at the top of your game. Successful preparation requires the ability to pay attention, identify and solve problems. During the interview, notice whether or not the candidates listens carefully. Do they take accountability for the successes and challenges in their careers? Can they think quickly and solve problems? 
Attitude
It’s all about attitude. All of the first nine traits are influenced by attitude. If a candidate scores low in any of the other nine traits, chances are, they don’t have a positive attitude and may not be the best addition to a team. 
As you consider these items, think about your customers, your team and your needs in an employee. Then ask yourself, what are you doing to ensure the people you hire bring these traits and improve your team.
 
Richard F. Libin has written two acclaimed books that help people of all walks of life improve their sales skills, because as he says, “everyone is a selling something.” His most recent book, Who Knew? (Who-Knew.com), was published in early 2017. His first book, “Who Stopped the Sale?” (WhoStoppedTheSale.com), is now in its second edition. As president of APB-Automotive Profit Builders, Inc., a firm with more than 48 years experience working with both sales and service professionals, he helps his clientele, through personnel development and technology, to build customer satisfaction and maximize gross profits in their businesses. Mr. Libin can be reached at rlibin@apb.cc or 508-626-9200 or www.apb.cc.