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The job interview is a starting block in the race for sales managers to hire high-producing salespeople. Too often, however, this opportunity proves to be a lame start because of a lack of interviewing skills on the part of the manager. The following ten errors have proven to be the ones most commonly made by managers in the interviewing process.
1. Failure to develop an up front contract with the applicant. Many interview sessions lack structure and focus. If the ground rules of the job you are hiring for are not established at the start, then the interview cannot be successful.
2. Failure to get a decision from the applicant. Ending an interview with something like, "Well, do you think you would like it here?" is weak and doesn't ask the applicant to show his or her ability to be decisive. When making a sales call, the producer who attempts to close with, "Well, do you think you might be interested?" will usually lose any chance of positive commitment.
Model strong selling behavior and get the applicant to make a resolution. Decision makers get others to make decisions.
3. Failure to deal with guidelines concerning firing. Sales managers spend a great deal of time telling applicants what qualities and abilities do fit the job requirements but neglect to outline the criteria for dismissal. Although it will not relieve the pain of termination, the candidate's understanding of what actions are grounds for dismissal is an important element of the interview process.
In addition to saying what qualities you are seeking, also tell your applicant what the job won't tolerate.
4. Failure to tell it like is. Many times sales managers in their eagerness to fill a vacancy, will oversell the job and/or company. It is easy to find yourself saying things like: "This is the best opportunity you'll get," or "You'll make a fortune with us." The anxious applicant wants to believe this, and when someone is hungry (manager or applicant), everything looks appetizing. Once hired and fed, reality sets in. There is nothing wrong with praising your company, but when making the job and company appealing to an applicant, stick to the facts.
5. Failure to match the applicant's ability to do the job. Desperation can cause an overqualified candidate to accept a job which is below his or her capabilities. At the other end of the spectrum, under-qualified people will promise anything. However, they may not be able to deliver.
Allocate enough time to find out whether the candidate's abilities match the job requirements.
6. Failure to allow enough time for the interview. We are all very busy, but this is not a valid reason to cut the interview short. It is more profitable to spend ample time with an applicant in an interview than to lose out one way or the other because not enough effort went into the hiring process.
7. Failure to consider how this individual will interface with other members of the group. The candidate will have to interact not only with the manager, but with other members of the sales staff as well. If a salesperson is in an environment of animosity or tension, his or her production is likely to suffer. Ask yourself: "Based on my observation, what positive or negative effect do I feel this person will have on the rest of the sales staff and vice-versa?"
8. Failure to conduct the interview personally. There is nothing wrong with personnel people screening an applicant for the job, but sales managers beware! If the person is going to be directly responsible to you, please don't accept the judgements of others without spending time to conduct an interview yourself.
It is a good idea to discuss every applicant with the personnel department, even the ones with seemingly remote possibilities. It is always a good policy to find out why someone else would or would not recommend an applicant.
9. Failure to consider the individual's needs. The job you will be asking the new salesperson to perform must satisfy both the psychological and physical needs of this person.
Ask thoughtful questions to discover these needs.
10. Failure to interview the "real" person. Experienced sales managers find that applicants rarely ask or answer the "real" questions up front. Repeating and rephrasing questions and setting up hypothetical situations can help to uncover facades.
By following positive interviewing tips, you can make the hiring process more effective and even more enjoyable. Based on these tips, develop your own positive interviewing procedure checklist and refer to the next time you are in the market for a top sales producer.
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