Discipline can be taught with a good process, but devotion—a genuine passion for the "commercial sport" of selling—cannot. A devoted salesperson with moderate discipline will consistently outperform a highly disciplined but dispassionate one. Prioritize this innate drive when hiring.
Salespeople are professionally trained to be liked, a skill crucial for their role but often over-weighted in interviews. This rapport doesn't indicate discipline or process-orientation. Hiring managers must test for performance skills beyond mere likability to avoid this trap.
Having all decision-makers interview a candidate simultaneously ensures everyone hears the same answers in the same context. This structure allows for immediate, data-driven calibration if assessments differ, an advantage impossible to achieve with sequential, separate conversations.
Top salespeople know their numbers precisely. When interviewing, demand specific dollar amounts for their quota and actual performance. Resistance, vagueness, or answers like "100-plus percent" are strong signals they are either hiding underperformance or lack discipline.
When asked about their sales process, weak candidates brainstorm a long list of activities. Strong candidates have a concise checklist for the key "moments of truth" in a deal, like discovery or proposal calls. The brevity and clarity of their answer signal true process discipline.
Don't ask a candidate to pitch your product; they don't know it well enough. Instead, ask them to pitch their current product as if you were a customer. Critically, evaluate the discovery questions they ask and what they listen for to gauge their true customer focus.
The combination of ramp-up time, long sales cycles, and a natural bias to give people "one more quarter" means it can take up to two years to identify and replace an underperforming salesperson. This delay significantly impacts growth plans more than the lost salary.
Ask a candidate to rate their sales ability on a 1-10 scale. Then, ask what specific skill, if mastered, would move them up one point. This trick question forces them to reveal a genuine area for improvement, demonstrating self-awareness and coachability.
When asking about a "gnarly deal," the best answers describe a specific internal obstacle (e.g., finance, security) and how the salesperson marshaled company resources to solve it. This reveals collaborative problem-solving, a more valuable trait than individual heroics on a big deal.
Sales leaders often refer candidates from past roles. While the network is valuable, this "I've got a guy" mentality can lead to shortcutting a rigorous evaluation process. A structured process must be enforced to ensure the best candidate is hired, not just the most familiar one.