The MOST Important Quality To Look For Right Now When Hiring
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few months ago , I hosted a private dinner in an undisclosed location with a dozen highly successful tech-industry CEOS , all running eight- and ninefigure businesses . Toward the end of the night ( and after a few adult beverages ), the conversation turned into a raucous debate about which team in the business was hardest to run : the tech / operations or the sales department .
Naturally , I sided with the “ sales is tougher ” camp . After all , finding people to do the work is always easier than finding people who can sell the work — just look at the dozens of smart , technically savvy MSPs out there who can fix just about any technical flaw and figure out the most complex problems but can ’ t close a door with a handle on it . Of course , the “ tech team is harder ” side pointed out that finding a good tech — who can be counted on to consistently figure things out , who dots the i ’ s and crosses the t ’ s , and who is also personable and a good communicator when interacting with clients — is as rare as hen ’ s teeth .
While there was good debate and many excellent points made , in the end , the consensus was that the sales team was far harder to manage for one single reason : the drama .
For starters , the majority of self-proclaimed “ salespeople ” out there are outright impostors , barely able to make a sale happen and often better described as sales prevention . They have no idea how to ask diagnostic questions , truly listen to what someone is saying , and ferret out objections ( much less handle them ), and they completely wimp out when it comes time to ask for the order .
If you are unfortunate enough to hire one of these folks , they often go into “ victim ” mode when you start putting some pressure on them to generate more sales . It ’ s the economy . It ’ s the competition . It ’ s the time of year . Right now , they ’ ve been handed the perfect excuse with the pandemic causing shutdowns . If it ’ s not that , it ’ s that you aren ’ t providing them the marketing they need . You aren ’ t giving them enough leads . And if you ’ re generating leads , you can bet they ’ ll complain that the leads they are getting are “ bad ” or not qualified enough .
That ’ s why it ’ s more critical than ever to hire people who are tough-minded . Gritty . Fiercely determined to win . That must be the litmus test now . You can ’ t afford to have a weak link on your team at any time , but now more than ever , you need people who are tough , resilient and results-focused . You need someone who actually embraces the concept of “ extreme ownership ” ( thank you , Jocko ), not because you make it part of your culture but because that ’ s who they are .
They aren ’ t deterred by the word “ no .” They make “ no ” their vitamin . They aren ’ t discouraged when they get sand kicked in their face and setbacks happen . They are unaffected by any unpleasantness ; with blinders on and the heart of a champion competitor , they let it all bounce off them and move forward .
The real question is this : How do you determine if that ’ s them in the interview ? For starters , take a look at their track record and look for people who ’ ve been able to stay in a position for multiple years , ideally getting promoted along the way . I ’ m always nervous about people who jump around every one to two years ; that ’ s a sign they were good enough to keep their job for a year or two but not beyond that .
Second , give them a hard time in the interview . Challenge them . A hiring question I learned from Barbara Corcoran : Tell them you don ’ t think they have the grit and determination that is needed to succeed in the position . Those with a fire in their belly will instantly handle that “ objection .” They won ’ t roll over and just agree . Trust me , I ’ ve used this multiple times , and you ’ d be surprised by how many mealy-minded sales impostors will simply say , “ Well , you ’ re probably right .” Bullet dodged . Another key area to dig into in their experience is how they stacked up against other salespeople on the team . Were they consistently the top performer ? If not , why ? Really dig in . You can learn a lot . Do they make excuses as to why they weren ’ t No . 1 or do they take some ownership ?
Just remember this : You can interview a person completely and thoroughly , put them through rigorous testing , and factcheck every claim they make in person and on their résumé and still end up with a dud . Jack Welch , easily considered one of the greatest corporate leaders of his time , was notorious for routinely firing the bottom 10 percent of his employees .
So , if you do happen to have one sneak by , at least be swift with the firing sword .
Robin Robins is the IT industry ’ s most in-demand marketing consultant , sales trainer and direct response marketing consultant who specializes in developing strategic marketing , sales and lead generation systems for MSPs , VARs and IT services companies .
Robin Robins is the CEO and Founder of TMT . TMT is the parent company of MSP Success .
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