Sales Talent

Hiring Sales Talent who can sell and lead

Hiring sales talent, especially sales people who can sell sounds straight forward but given the nature of selling, the messiness of relationships and the behaviours that make for a successful sales person, most people and organisations get it wrong 20% to 40% of the time. In fact hiring sales talent is one of the most difficult and frustrating tasks in business.

Yet research shows that the most commonly used recruitment techniques are often the least effective at predicting whether candidates will perform to a high level in a job. These include resumes, typical unstructured interviews and reference checks. On the other end of the scale, purpose built psychometric assessments, simulations and behavioural interviews are consistently proven to be significantly more accurate prediction of likely job performance.

How to define and assess Sales Talent

Barrett has develop a range of profiling and selection tools and methodologies aligned with high grade Psychometric Assessments that accurately define and measure the behaviors, attitudes, values and abilities of sales people and sales leaders. Barrett helps clients answer questions such as:

1. Why will this person sell? (Motives, Ambition, Goals)
2. Will this person sell? (Attitudes, Mindset, Not Hesitant, Accountable, Energy, Drive)
3. How does this person sell? (Style, Ethics, Behaviours)
4. Can this person sell? (Skill, Knowledge, Mindset)
5. How well can this person sell? (Job match, Values, Perceptive Reasoning, Self Belief, Mastery Mindset)

Barrett partners with companies using our robust Job Design process to determine the behavioral and ability requirements of the Sales Job Family. Optimal Job and Person descriptions are an outcome of this process as are relevant Behavioural Interview process which can be incorporated into end–to-end comprehensive Sales Recruitment Kits. Barrett's comprehensive Sales Competency Dictionary and the Barrett Sales Performance Management System are great resources for Sales Leaders, HR & Learning & Development professionals.

This is the Barrett best practice approach to hiring Top Sales Talent and getting it right.