{"id":1630,"date":"2008-06-11T09:08:58","date_gmt":"2008-06-11T14:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.comblog\/the-top-10-challenges-in-hiring-tech-sales-pros\/"},"modified":"2023-04-11T19:46:07","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T19:46:07","slug":"the-top-10-challenges-in-hiring-tech-sales-pros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/the-top-10-challenges-in-hiring-tech-sales-pros\/","title":{"rendered":"The Top 10 Challenges in Hiring Tech Sales Pros"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Hiring<\/p>\n

Talk to any sales manager and they will tell you that hiring reliable sales people\u00a0is one of the most difficult things to do. Even the ones who say they have a good hiring track record will typically admit that too few of their reps are at target.<\/p>\n

Why is that? What makes hiring great tech sales representatives so hard?<\/p>\n

With thousands of sales recruiting\u00a0projects under our belt, here are the top 10 challenges small and large companies alike face\u00a0when trying to hire great technology sales people.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Salespeople, those in the tech space and beyond, are used to putting the best spin on their accomplishments. Fix:<\/strong>\u00a0Implement in-depth screening and cross-referencing to separate truth from fiction.<\/a>)<\/li>\n
  2. DNA or personality traits are the most critical factor in sales success, especially in the technology industry where consultative selling is the norm. Unfortunately for the untrained interviewer, assessing sales DNA is far more difficult than assessing for experience or even skills. This often leads hiring managers to rely on their gut\u00a0when selecting a\u00a0candidate to hire. Fix:<\/strong> Use behavioral assessments<\/a> and interviews<\/a> performed by trained interviewers.<\/li>\n
  3. The hiring manager may not have benchmarked the profile of the top performers currently on the team, and can\u2019t properly characterize what they are looking for. Fix:<\/strong> Define the experience, skills and personality traits<\/a> that are critical for the hire to be successful, and then have the discipline to stick with it.<\/li>\n
  4. A high percentage of active job seekers have poor sales records which conditions the hiring manager to lower the benchmark for hiring. Fix:<\/strong> The hiring manager needs discipline to not settle.<\/li>\n
  5. The best candidates are gainfully employed and are not likely to respond to your job ad.<\/a> If you are lucky enough to get to them, they may not be inclined to let you make a full objective assessment. Fix:<\/strong> You need to perform the same interview process<\/a> on every single candidate so you can compare apples to apples when selecting the candidate to be hired.<\/li>\n
  6. Many sales managers are extroverts and are naturally attracted to other outgoing people regardless of qualifications. Fix:<\/strong>\u00a0Focus on how the candidate\u2019s skills, experiences, and DNA align with your ideal candidate profile. Conducting interviews over the phone before in-person, can mitigate the \u2018halo-effect<\/a>\u2018.<\/li>\n
  7. Performing reference checks on someone who is employed is challenging due to confidentiality. Fix:<\/strong> There are always managerial contacts that can be approached. HR is a strategic partner<\/a> that can\u00a0be relied upon during this phase to provide guidance.<\/li>\n
  8. Verifying income is easy, but verifying performance is tricky. Fix:<\/strong> Rigorous interviewing and background checks<\/a> are critical.<\/li>\n
  9. Sales managers are trained to be sales managers, not interviewers. Fix:<\/strong> Anyone hiring for this critical position needs to get trained or \u2014 shameless promo \u2014 to engage experts<\/a> to assist in the identification and selection of the best and right hires.<\/li>\n
  10. The pressure of the clock counting down on a quarterly target forces the sales manager to settle on the best candidate available rather than the right candidate. Fix:<\/strong> Wait until you find the right candidate. Hiring the wrong sales person is way more costly<\/a> than making the investment in time to\u00a0hire a great sales person.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The bottom line:<\/strong>\u00a0When making a hire this important, invest in a proven process, and have the discipline to stick to it.<\/p>\n

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    close<\/p>\n

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