1. business and industrial

How to attract,
select and retain top
performing salespeople
By Mark Purbrick, Managing Director, Peoplogica Pty Ltd
www.peoplogica.com
Level 2, 52 Atchison Street
ST LEONARDS NSW 2065
T: +61 2 9936 9000
F: +61 2 9936 9036
E: [email protected]
How to attract, select and
retain top performing
salespeople
By Mark Purbrick, Managing Director, Peoplogica Pty Ltd
• There is a recruitment process that consistently identifies top performers
• Roles should be benchmarked on an objective assessment of proven top performers
• Job advertisements should “talk” to the candidates you want
• Retaining top performers is more cost effective than finding new ones
I am yet to meet someone who says they have purposely hired a poor performer.
Why is it then that about 25% of the Australian workforce is considered substandard by their managers? Unfortunately, in
many sales departments, the percentage of poor performers is much higher.
The question is, “Why are currently accepted selection processes resulting in only about 25% top performers, 50%
adequate to very good performers and 25% poor performers?” Ask any process professional what a 25% success rate
means and they will tell you that the process you are using is flawed.
Compounding the cost of this situation is that a top performer is three times more productive than a poor performer and
yet you are probably paying them both the same base salary. Adding insult to injury many of these poor performers want
to stay and keep performing at unacceptable levels, often in spite of your efforts to help them improve. This results in high
financial costs to your business – and high health costs (stress, anxiety etc.) for all individuals involved.
This raises some critical questions for managers:
• How much revenue and profit is your sales team forgoing because your recruitment process has allowed poor
performers to get through?
• What success could be achieved by increasing the number of top performers and decreasing the number of poor
performers?
• Is there is a better way to attract, recruit and retain top performers?
The good news is that there is a better way. The bad news is that many sales managers – and HR professionals – will have
to first accept that current processes are not working and then have the courage to change the way they attract, select,
train and coach their most important asset … their people.
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Over the past five years, my team at Peoplogica has worked with many companies, large and small to help achieve better
outcomes in their sales selection activities. Based on this collective experience, this chapter will help sales managers
increase their chances of attracting, selecting and retaining top performing salespeople.
Five big mistakes
There are five fundamental mistakes many sales managers consistently make when they recruit new salespeople:
1. The sales role has not been fully understood in terms of ‘job fit’, resulting in people being selected who are simply
not right for the role.
2. The selection process lacks rigour, so hiring decisions are made using only a small amount of relevant information.
3. The job advertisement doesn’t speak to the candidates you want to attract, limiting the quality of the candidate
pool.
4. Recruiters and managers rely too heavily on emotional connections during the interview and, as a result, tend to
hire people they ‘like’ as opposed to hiring people who will perform and ‘fit’ the role.
5. Recruiters and managers rely on a limited amount of candidate information and don’t use the full range of selection
tools available to allow them to be more scientific and objective in their recruitment decisions.
This paper will demonstrate that there are simple solutions to these mistakes. By applying a well-structured methodology
to the recruitment and selection process, you will get better results – guaranteed. I will outline three process sets which,
when adapted to your situation and applied with rigour, will help avoid the five common mistakes previously described.
Advances in the recruitment process
Management is not an exact science. Once humans are involved, things become less predictable.
However, a scientific approach can help us understand the current situation and point us towards improved processes.
Much work has been done over the past ten years to bring the weight of science to bear on management processes,
especially in human resource management and recruitment and selection.1
I’m not advocating a purely robotic selection process based on a set of exact criteria. A good salesperson is, after all, a
master craftsperson – part artist, part advocate, mixed with a blend of knowledge, passion and desire. The last thing any
sales manager should want is someone who doesn’t bring these human attributes to the sales role they are looking to fill.
After all, whilst knowledge and experience are important, the sales role is principally based on behaviours.
However, bringing a degree of science to bear on the selection process can deliver better results for both organisations
and the individuals who occupy the sales positions.
A three-part process to attract, select and retain top sales
performers
Academics and practitioners alike agree that the best starting point for successful recruitment is a defined process that
reflects the needs and requirements of the organisation. Consider the following three-part process framework to attract,
select and retain high performing salespeople.
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Part 1: Define the role
Within a strategic context, establish clear roles and personal benchmarks as indicators of ideal peak performance.
Not all sales roles are created equal. For example, an excellent major account salesperson may require very different
skills, knowledge and abilities than those required to be an excellent territory manager. Roles need to be clearly defined
in terms both of the role and the characteristics required to perform the role. Importantly, they need to accurately reflect
the organisation’s overall business and go-to-market sales strategy.
Part 2: Select well
Attract, screen and select the best candidate(s) by looking for ‘best fit’.
It is critical that salespeople ‘fit’ the role for which they are being employed, at a job, team and organisational level. In
looking to attract potential salespeople, many organisations limit their potential talent pool by applying criteria which are
not relevant to the role. A clear set of benchmarks are critical in building an appropriate selection methodology to ensure
the best possible candidate fit for the role.
1. Over the past 15 years, human resource management (HRM) has gained significant traction as a function supported by a growing body of research and is now an accepted
academic discipline. For many managers in functional areas – especially sales – this growth has appeared shrouded in some mystery. Much of HRM writing is quite accessible
and sales managers in particular would benefit from a quick review of processes and functions encompassed within HRM – including the recruitment function. A good starting
point would be a standard text such as: Stone, R 2008, Human Resource Management: 6th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Australia.
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Part 3: Retain the best
Welcome, include, build and retain the best by planning and delivering a tailored training, coaching and development
program – within a strategic context.
Good sales talent is always in demand. If you have given the time and gone to the trouble of recruiting a high performer,
make sure that the first impression they have of you reassures the new employee that their decision to choose you as an
employer was correct. Invest in your talent to ensure they continue to deliver the best possible sales results to both your
existing clients and your prospective clients, and continually review the role in terms of your evolving business, go-tomarket and sales strategies.
Applying the process – an overview
Success in sales requires strong alignment of an organisation’s business strategy, a clear understanding of the particular
sales role and the personal qualities, capabilities and competencies required of sales professionals.
We all know that business strategies are constantly under pressure from external and internal forces, however, the
attraction, selection and retention process always begins – and ends – with our sales strategy. If this is not clear and wellarticulated, the chances of success are dramatically reduced.
Using the process steps outlined in this paper and adapting them to your circumstances will guarantee that you will
improve your sales performance levels. The remainder of this paper will provide a more detailed examination of this
process.
Process Part 1: Establish clear roles and personal benchmarks
Does marketing lead sales, or is sales supported by marketing?
Much organisational energy is often placed on the sexy part of sales, such as marketing, advertising and brand establishment.
There is no doubt that marketing is paramount to attracting and retaining clients and that a strong brand provides security
for customers, but for many organisations the conversion point into a real sale occurs when a salesperson takes action
and influences a purchasing decision.
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Develop a clear business strategy, go-to-market strategy and sales strategy
Far too often sales managers are presented with a sales environment as a fait accompli, after having little input into either
the business strategy or go-to-market strategy governing the make-up of a sales team and how the team engages the
market.
This is a subject requiring far greater discussion than this chapter allows, so I’ll simply note that it is critical that operational
sales managers be fully involved in the wider business and go-to-market strategies within their organisation. After all, how
can a sales manager build an appropriately skilled sales team when they have little or no input into the market strategy?
How can they appropriately coach and develop their team? And how can marketing support a sales operation unless the
links between sales and marketing are strong and grounded in a shared view of market reality?
With the growth in team selling in many B2B organisations, plus an integration of web 2.0 (and, inevitably, 3.0 and
so on) processes and customer interaction, it is more critical than ever before that the first three steps in this process
involve operational managers to ensure rapid and appropriate response to changes in strategy and market engagement.
Ultimate sales success depends fundamentally upon the sales team reflecting the business and go-to-market strategy of
the organisation.
Define and quantify success attributes for each clearly defined sales role
There is a degree of circularity in establishing what is required in terms of each sales role. Each role needs to be
clearly defined in terms of behavioural requirements. Each role then needs to be assessed in terms of both the personal
requirements of a successful performer and the level of competence required for each attribute.
Research has demonstrated that role clarity is directly related to job performance, especially in roles which require active
involvement, or ‘flow’.2 For sales roles, flow is critically important because we need our salespeople to be actively engaged
to attain the highest possible level of performance. Further research has shown that role clarity is an essential element for
the operation of successful teams.3
2. Nielsen, K & Cleal, B 2010, ‘Predicting flow at work: investigating the activities and job activities that predict flow states at work’, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology,
Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 180-190.
3. Gratton, L & Erickson, T 2007, ‘8 ways to build collaborate teams’, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 85, No. 11, November 2007, pp100-109+153
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There are many variables which can affect the exact nature and function of each sales role. Here are just a few:
• short or long sales cycle,
• team selling or lone operator,
• lead generation requirement or leads supplied,
• account management and/or client acquisition,
• product or service sale (or combination),
• product growth phase or mature product, and
• emerging company or established market leader.
These variables translate into real behaviours required for particular sales roles. These should be as explicit as possible. If
the role requires a level of new business development, this should be clearly stated. If there are conversion factors which
apply (e.g., ten new appointments lead to four product demonstrations which result in 1.5 sales) these should also be
explicit. If it is principally an account management role and a minimum number of weekly visits for each representative
are required, make that clear.
Managers must understand the nature of the role to determine the success attributes required and the level of competence
required for the role. There are two ways to identify the success attributes of a given sales role.
Identifying success attributes
Some managers assemble the entire management team who have anything to do with the role (recruiters, managers,
trainers etc), sit them around a table and then have them discuss and agree on the required success attributes for
each role. In my experience, the end result will be hours wasted gathering information that will be often incorrect and
misleading and will not improve the success rate of selecting future top performers.
The second method removes as much subjectivity as possible by creating a high performance role benchmark using
objective assessments.4 The process is quite simple and logical. By assessing proven top performers in a particular role,
we use science to identify and quantify the critical success attributes and determine which the top performers have in
common. This ability to base selection decisions on the proven attributes of existing top performers is the key to a greatly
improved selection process.
These attributes cover a range of personal qualities and abilities, including:
• thinking style,
• verbal and numerical skills,
• energy levels,
• sociability,
• independence,
• manageability, and
• occupational interests (engagement).
4. At Peoplogica we use the JobFit® tool developed by Profiles International (PI). We use this instrument set due to the extensive research which supports its application.
We have also found the tool to be extremely valuable at an operational level across a wide variety of industries and markets. In the balance of this chapter, the examples
used will be based on the PI assessment set.
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By benchmarking current top performers we are then able to measure the degree of job fit that applicants have compared
to the proven top performers.
Success attributes, benchmarking and job descriptions
This understanding can also be applied to our job descriptions to make them more ‘human’. Typical job descriptions only
reflect the job requirements (role title, reporting, salary band, KPIs, primary tasks etc.). Very few give any insight into what
type of person you are searching for. By integrating the results of a high performance role benchmark, we can give job
descriptions an extra layer, that extra layer is an accurate description of the person we are looking for.
For example, a more entrepreneurial sales role could be translated into the following ‘people’ descriptors:
✓ employees who communicate effectively in a variety of settings and can assimilate complex instructions easily;
✓ employees who can efficiently base their decisions on numerical data and who can communicate this data in easily
understood formats;
✓ employees who are highly motivated by the competitive, entrepreneurial world of sales and management;
✓ employees who are motivated by innovation;
✓ employees who are active and can focus on several tasks at a time;
✓ employees who are moderately social, motivated by the opportunity to present their ideas and suggestions and are
encouraged by the opportunity to work in a team environment;
✓ employees who demonstrate a positive attitude, yet are not required to resist the expression of frustration in order
to achieve success in their work;
✓ employees who are not required to accommodate the needs of customers or co-workers, who work best
independently pursuing their objectives.
Key points from Part 1
Here are the key points from the first part of our sales attraction, selection and retention process.
1. Have a clear sales strategy, built upon a broader business and go-to-market strategy.
2. Clearly define the exact nature of each sales role – in behavioural terms (what the candidate will do) and success
attributes (what a successful incumbent looks like).
3. Once defined – establish benchmark levels for the key success attributes.
Process Part 2: Attract, screen and select the best candidates
It is human nature to be attracted to people we like. But when looking for people to perform a function, it’s a tendency
we need to suppress. This process section will help you draw upon the widest set of potential candidates and then show
you how to apply a consistent screening and evaluation process to find the best possible candidate – based on the success
attributes, role descriptions and personal benchmarks we established as a result of the first part of the process.
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Getting the right ‘fit’
The principal key to successful recruitment is ‘fit’. Considerable research has been conducted in this area, with the widely
accepted conclusion being that people need to fit jobs, teams and organisations.5 Put simply, the better the fit between
the candidate and the employer’s role, the better the potential outcomes for both parties.
Individual job fit is about matching individuals to the role to ensure that they have the right abilities, traits, interests, technical
capabilities and experience to succeed. Team fit is about getting the team chemistry right. Organisation fit is about ensuring
that the values and beliefs of the individual are aligned with the culture of the organisation. All three levels need to be
addressed successfully to optimise the future performance of the new employee. In a sales role this level of fit is critical.
To paraphrase Jim Collins, it’s about getting the right people on the bus and putting them in the right seats.6
As we go through this second phase of the process – remember it’s all about ‘fit’.
Advertising for candidates
The purpose of advertising for candidates is to find people who will be outstanding in the job, who thrive in your
organisational environment and culture, and who will be motivated by the rewards you offer. The more realistic and
specific you can be in this regard, the more the applicants who apply will self-select themselves based on these criteria.
Don’t restrict your potential candidate pool by asking for experience or qualifications that aren’t necessary to do the job.
If you currently have successful salespeople who don’t have tertiary qualifications, then don’t make it a requirement. If
you have successful people who didn’t previously have sales experience, then don’t make it a requirement. Remember to
look for, and put a premium on, the success attributes we defined in Part 1 of this process.
Open up the paper or have a look at any of the job boards and what you will find is that nearly every job advertisement
has a paragraph about the company (how good are we!), one or two paragraphs that replicate the position description
(this is what our job does) and a final paragraph asking for all and sundry to apply. There is usually one fundamental
element missing, nowhere in these advertisements does it say what the job offers the potential candidate; nowhere in the
advertisement does it ‘talk’ to potential candidates and reassure them that they will be happy and successful in the role.
Nowhere does it say to the potential candidate what is in it for them.
There is a better way.
5. Rieschi, G & Slater, S 2010 ‘Emerge stronger: leading organisations invest in “fit” as a strategy to excel in good times and thrive in tough times’, Canadian Manager Fall
2010, Vol. 35, Issue 3, pp25-28.
6. Collins, J 2001 Good to great: why some companies make the leap ... and others don’t, HarperCollins NY.
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By using the success attributes, as discussed in the previous section, we can create a job advertisement that answers one
of the principal candidate questions – “What’s in it for me?”
Here’s an example:
Do you have what we are looking for?
ABC Company (www.abccompany.com.au), one of the largest manufacturers of widgets in Australia, is expanding
and requires quality people to join its sales team.
ABC Company is not for everyone. To be a successful member of our team you will:
✓
be motivated by the competitive, entrepreneurial world of sales and management;
✓
enjoy administrative duties and processing numerical information;
✓
love having the opportunity to be innovative and creative;
✓
be active and able to focus on several tasks at a time;
✓
are willing to lead, but most comfortable when given the chance to take direction from others;
✓
respond well to a structured environment;
✓
demonstrate a positive attitude;
✓
maintain effective time management skills when making decisions; and
✓
appropriately accommodate the needs of customers and co-workers, while also appreciating the occasional
need to take a personal position that is different to the group’s position.
If the above resonates with you please send us your application as we may just have the job that you have been
looking for!
Screening candidates based on personal benchmarks
Recruitment is arduous at the best of times. Even if a third party is being used to assist in the process, it’s a waste of
everyone’s time conducting interviews with people who don’t demonstrate the base level of experience and knowledge
required, or who don’t possess the required success attributes.
The purpose of screening is to select the most appropriate people to interview. This can be very time consuming,
frustrating and full of flaws, or it can be streamlined, effective and cost efficient. The process will vary depending upon the
importance of the role and the number of applications received. In either case one simple rule applies: look for applicants
who demonstrate the success attributes of the role. If your advertisement makes these attributes obvious, the screening
process will be relatively simple.
Based on our extensive experience in this area, I would also suggest a second rule. It is better to have a vacant position
than it is to have the wrong candidate in the position. This is especially true for sales roles, where an inappropriate
appointment can cause far more problems than a vacant territory.
If you don’t attract applicants with the attributes you’re looking for, it’s probably because your advertisement is not
reaching the right audience. Review the wording and placement of your advertisement and re-advertise.
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The first interview
The first interview is not just an opportunity for the candidate to impress a potential future employer. It is also an
opportunity for the employer to demonstrate the professionalism, ethos and culture of the organisation, together with the
future opportunities that the organisation can offer. Both the candidate and the employer should be ‘selling’ themselves
to each other.
In presenting the role to potential candidates, it is essential that interviewers convey the role, the team culture and the
rewards with absolute clarity. This is especially critical in sales, where there can be some ambiguity in terms of the actual
duties required and the rewards on offer.
Professor David Guest calls this aspect of the employment relationship the ‘psychological contract’.7 The psychological
contract is not the official terms and conditions contained in the formal employer-employee contract, but all the unwritten
promises and suggestions that are made about the job. In sales roles this can easily become misleading or ambiguous,
such as including territory descriptions which are not entirely accurate, indications of the level of prospecting required or
indications of earnings potentials which later prove to be unachievable. Research indicates that new employees will rely
on the unwritten aspects of the role as much as the formal contract and if this leads to the sales person being misled, then
performance and engagement levels will be affected.
The purpose of the first interview is to confirm that the applicant has the necessary knowledge and experience for the role
and to begin to establish that the candidate also has the broader success attributes required.
Key elements of a first interview
• From the employer’s perspective, there are a number of aspects of the interview which should be followed:
• Always prepare a comprehensive set of behavioural questions designed to confirm the candidate’s compatibility
with the success factors for the role. Behavioural questions look for examples of the success attributes you are
seeking.
• Use a standard interview sheet and keep detailed notes.
• Interview with at least one other person and write up the interview notes during or immediately after the interview.
A second person is essential to limit personal bias. Note that the second interviewer need not be in a sales role. A
good manager or HR generalist is ideal.
• Cover all questions with each candidate.
• Begin with a brief introduction of your company and the role. Be clear and specific about the role. This is where
the psychological contract begins.
• Ask the candidate to talk about their previous roles and experience and ask questions throughout.
• Follow this with simple questions to confirm the candidate’s experience and clarify any details which are not
explicit.
• Keep to a time schedule and don’t over-run. Encourage the candidate to keep their answers brief and note areas
to explore in a possible second interview.
• Remember, you are looking for someone who fits the role and the organisation.
7. Guest, D 2004 ‘The psychology of the employment relationship: an analysis based on the psychological contract’, Applied Psychology: An International Review, Vol. 53,
No. 4, pp. 541-555.
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• Allow time for the candidate to ask questions and look for people who have done their homework.
• Advise the candidate that, if they are successful at this interview, there will be a series of assessments to complete
to ensure that there is a good fit between themselves, the role and your organisation. Advise them that this will be
followed by a second interview to allow both parties to clarify any issues and concerns.
• Finish by outlining a clear timetable for next steps.
• Keep to the timetable.
Rank all interviewees based on the success criteria. Move forward with the top three to five candidates and let them
know as soon as possible after the first interview. Even in times of high unemployment good candidates will always be
in demand. Acknowledge the unsuccessful candidates who have given you their time and make the overall recruitment
process as professional and robust as possible.
Use of other selection and assessment tools
A wide range of assessment tools exist to confirm the success criteria established in Part 1 of this process. Now is the time
to ensure that potential employees actually measure up to the benchmarks established for these attributes. Again, these
would cover a range of personal qualities and abilities, including:
• thinking style,
• verbal and numerical skills,
• energy levels,
• sociability,
• independence;
• manageability, and
• occupational interests (engagement).
Only measure the attributes which you already know to be essential for success. Don’t waste time, money and energy
measuring items just for the sake it. Conduct the assessments as soon as possible after the first interview.
These results will either confirm or call into question your impressions from the candidate’s resume and the first interview.
If a candidate appears to fit most criteria, you can move to the second interview. If a candidate doesn’t measure up
against the benchmarks, identify the areas of potential concern. The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour.
If candidates don’t measure up in terms of knowledge, experience and a good fit based on success attributes, the risk of
them not performing at a high level is increased.
Selection is not an exact science. Ensuring fit based on objective, measurable criteria is the best system available. Ignoring
the data and basing selection on subjective criteria will limit the likelihood of employing a top performer to 25%. The
choice, ultimately, is yours.
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Final interview and reference checks
The final interview is very much the business end of the process. For someone to be sitting in front of you for a second
time, they are most likely good enough to do the job. We want an outstanding performer, so the purpose of the final
interview is to confirm any aspects of the applicant’s fit that may be still in question.
These are the key aspects of the final interview.
• Position the interview as a mutual process and with an aim to confirm best fit between the applicant and the role.
It should be in all parties’ interest to get the decision right.
• It’s about addressing any ‘gaps’ between the applicant and the benchmarks established for the role, so be specific
about any concerns.
• Unlike earlier interviews, this will be less structured and may run over time if the discussion warrants the investment.
However, it should still be conducted by two people and detailed notes are critical.
• Ask the questions provided by the assessments to confirm, one way or another, the candidate’s fit to your success
benchmarks.
• Allow plenty of time for the candidate to ask any questions and, as before, be specific and clear about all aspects
of the role, the environment and the remuneration package. Don’t over-promise.
At the conclusion of the interview you should be in a position to predict whether the candidate has the potential to be a
top performer. Reiterate the process and timelines and tell the candidate that a final offer will be made once all second
interviews are completed and discussions with referees are complete. Also use this conversation to confirm start dates,
and any initial courses or professional development which will need to be undertaken.
In our experience, referee discussions are of questionable value, but should be undertaken in any event. Try and do these
straight after the interview and look to confirm details in terms of achievements, rather than looking for opinions. We find
that the best results are obtained when you use behavioural questions.
Final selection and job offer
Base your selection as much as possible on observable behaviours and the respective fit of each candidate. Appropriate
testing should be used to confirm interview impressions and other reference checking, not as a substitute. If you have a
stand-out candidate, make an offer as soon as possible. Call, congratulate them and discuss details for commencement.
Make a formal offer immediately.
If you have candidates who demonstrate similar appeal, consider offering the position to the candidate who will bring
most diversity to your team. Extensive research suggests that a diverse team will outperform a team which is more
uniform in its make-up.8 As innovation in the sales function will lead to competitive edge, it’s wise to have as broad a team
mix as possible as long as the team members possess the critical success attributes of the role.
Key points from Part 2
Here are the key points from the second part of our sales attraction, selection and retention process.
1. It’s all about fit – at a job, team and organisational level.
8. Gratton, L & Erickson, T 2007 ‘8 ways to build collaborative teams’, Harvard Business Review November 2007, Volume 85, Issue 11, pp. 100-109.
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2. Advertise to attract the best pool of candidates as possible.
3. Use behavioural questions for use in a structured interview.
4. Be clear and precise about the role, the team environment and organisational culture.
5. Use a range of assessment tools to measure fit in relation to predefined success attributes, preferably high
performance role benchmarks.
6. Keep to a strict timetable and communicate promptly with candidates.
Process Part 3: Welcome, include, develop and retain the best talent
The selection and appointment of a new employee is very much like a marriage. If you fail to do the hard work, or if you
start taking your star employees for granted, then you will soon be back to square one – recruiting again. To avoid this,
you need to implement a strong and effective process to allow your employees to reach their peak performance level as
quickly as possible and to maintain this performance level in the future.
While this may appear obvious, I regularly see companies fail to consistently deliver an experience which delights,
encourages and supports new recruits. High performers are hard to find, so treat them with the respect they deserve. You
will be repaid by their effort, loyalty and performance well beyond the raw cost.
First day welcome and new appointee feedback
What happens on the first day will leave a lasting impression on your new employee. The professionalism of your
organisation is very much on display. It is curious that in many organisations, departing employees are given more respect
than new employees. Here are some simple steps to making a positive impression on your new employee to reassure
them that they have made the right decision.
• Make sure the receptionist is informed that there is a new employee starting, and give him/her a schedule (listing
the meetings/activities for the day) to provide the new employee when they arrive for work.
• The first meeting should be with the employee’s manager. Do not keep them waiting in reception. The manager
should outline the program for the day.
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• Where appropriate, ensure business cards are printed and sitting on the desk, the mobile phone is charged and
ready to go and keys for the company vehicle are ready to be signed for and collected.
• At the end of the day have some sort of celebration to welcome them to the team.
As soon as possible, if not on the first day then certainly during the first week, conduct a full debrief of the assessment
results with the new salesperson. It is essential to discuss the assessment outcomes, as these will form a basis for the
personalised induction and development processes which follow. This discussion should also lay the groundwork for a
collaborative approach to professional development.
Induction, training and coaching program and ongoing career development
You’ve recruited a high performer and high performers also have high expectations of their employers. They like working
with other high achievers and generally they like to learn and be challenged. They are also not totally motivated by money.9
Building a personalised induction program will be the start of not only ensuring that your new recruit gets up to speed as
quickly as possible, but will demonstrate your organisation’s commitment to them and start to build the loyalty you will
need to retain top talent. Here are some aspects of the initial induction and training program you should consider.
• Involve them with the team as quickly as possible.
• Customise their training and don’t make them do programs or courses they’ve already successfully completed.
• Consider using a current top performer as a mentor and/or coach.
• Provide regular, collaborative feedback and adjust the program accordingly.
• If your new recruit is Gen Y (born after about 1977), they will be looking for different things than older recruits.
Organisational values and flexibility are particularly important to this group, as is the need for honest, regular
feedback on their performance.10
This induction period should meld seamlessly with an ongoing commitment to their personal and career development.
Role review and ongoing strategy alignment
As your sales strategy changes, so may the requirements of particular sales roles. Regularly review high performance role
benchmarks as well as the skills, knowledge and experience of your sales team. We can’t predict all changes, but we do
know that change is inevitable and that our sales function will need to constantly adapt to maintain a competitive edge.
Even top performers need to build knowledge and skills to maintain their high level of performance. The good news is that
most top performers want to do this. Your role as a manager is to simply enable their success to continue.
Key points from Part 3
Here are the key points from the third part of our sales attraction, selection and retention process.
1. In the same way that salespeople need to make a great first impression, so do employers. Make sure all the little
things are done right to welcome your new top performer.
9. Groysberg, B, Lee, L & Abrahams, R 2010 ‘What it takes to make “star” hires pay off’, MIT Sloan Management Review Winter 2010, Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 57-61
10. Meister, J & Willyard, K 2010 ‘Mentoring millennials; delivering the feedback gen Y craves is easier than you thought’, Harvard Business Review May 2010, Vol. 88, No.
5, pp. 68-72
14 | www.peoplogica.com
Copyright 2011 - Peoplogica Pty Ltd
2. Personalise the induction and training program.
3. Provide an ongoing career and personal development program.
4. Constantly review the critical success attributes of all sales roles to ensure they are filled by individuals who can
best adapt to and thrive in the evolving business strategies.
Make sure you avoid the 5 big mistakes
Clear, comprehensive and aligned processes will lead to better outcomes in the attraction, selection and retention of top
performing sales people. The frameworks outlined in this chapter can be adapted by any sales manager in any industry of
any size.
Let me conclude with some comments about how you can avoid the common mistakes outlined in the beginning of this
chapter – and get better results in the process.
1. Lack of rigour in the recruitment process is the most common mistake I have seen sales managers make – and the
results are almost always negative. By simply applying the processes described, you will increase your success in
finding and retaining top performers.
2. If you don’t have a clear, qualified and quantified understanding of the particular sales role, it’s highly likely that
you’ll end up recruiting the wrong person. A likable person is not necessarily the right person for your sales role.
3. Job fit is critical, but can only occur if you’ve analysed the criteria and success attributes of the role and then recruit
based on these proven success attributes. Don’t create barriers by asking for qualifications and experience which
aren’t really necessary. You will simply limit the pool of potential candidates and often miss a great salesperson of
the future.
4. Avoid employing people just because you like them. You’re not employing people to become friends. You are
looking for people who will be top performers in a specific job. Use relevant behavioural interview questions and
do not take shortcuts.
5. Employ all the extra tools at your disposal to ensure that you get the right person to achieve the requirements of
the role.
6. Recruitment doesn’t end with a job offer. Make the transition to your organisation one that new recruits value and
respect. Then make sure you give them the resources, training, coaching and development they need to succeed.
7. Constantly review your processes and role descriptions to reflect the reality of your current business strategy.
Sales success is integral to overall organisational success. If you need to go to market with a sales strategy that involves
the use of personal selling (whether it’s transactional, relationship, solution, or any other flavour of selling) make sure you
employ people with the qualities and attributes most likely to deliver organisational success. It is imperative that, as a sales
manager, you stay well connected with your organisation’s business and go-to-market strategies. Ensure that the people
in your team are the people who fit the future and possess the appropriate skills, knowledge and motivation to meet the
goals that result from these strategies.
Apply the three-part framework outlined here and you WILL attract, select and retain high performing sales people and, in
the process, join the exclusive group of sales managers who have many top performers and few, if any, poor performers.
Copyright 2011 - Peoplogica Pty Ltd
www.peoplogica.com | 15
About Peoplogica
Peoplogica is a leading specialist consultant and provider of people capital solutions and services. Through its partner
network of recruiters, trainers, coaches and consultants, Peoplogica delivers a range of customised solutions to
organisations of all sizes from all sectors.
Peoplogica searches the world for the best solutions and possesses the International/Regional licensee rights for the
following selection, performance management, coaching and leadership development tools:
• Profiles International JobFit Assessments
(Selection, performance, coaching & leadership assessments and surveys)
• Peoplogica Skills
(Fully customisable Skills Testing offering more than 100 subjects and 1,500 selectable sub-topics that can be
customised and combined to achieve any organisation’s particular requirements)
• OurPeople Multi-Rater Surveys
(Fully customisable 360 and 180 degree multi-rater surveys for management, sales & all customer facing roles)
• Australian Innovation & Creativity Survey
(Measuring innovation and creativity in Australian businesses)
• Employee First
(Modern Success Psychology for Business. Employer sponsored health programs to assist their employees take
back control of their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing)
Peoplogica has a network of more than 25 business partners who are accessed by our team to implement customised
solutions that deliver the desired organisational outcomes. Our consultants all have extensive and proven experience at
creating and building businesses, especially with regard to maximising employee productivity and engagement.
Peoplogica provides a comprehensive portfolio of services:
• Customer Surveys
• Recruitment Screening
• Skills Testing
• Role Benchmarking
• A comprehensive range of Assessments and Surveys
• JobFit Assessments
• Identify & Quantify the Critical Success Attributes of proven Top Performers
• Enhanced Job Advertisements that Target the Right Candidates
• First Interview Processes
• Second Interview Processes and Customised Behavioural Interview Questions
• People Management Skills
• Employee Surveys
• Coaching & Mentoring
• Career Guidance
• Leadership Development
• Organisational Re-Engineering
Copyright 2011 - Peoplogica Pty Ltd
www.peoplogica.com | 16
www.peoplogica.com
Level 2, 52 Atchison Street
ST LEONARDS NSW 2065
T: +61 2 9936 9000
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