Don’t Hire the Plug and Play.
My goal is to provide you with insights and pearls that you can easily use in your day-to-day work.
I am Steven Rosen author of 52 Sales Management Tips and an executive sales coach. This week’s tip is about hiring the right candidate. You have a vacant territory, and you have narrowed your search down to two candidates.
The first candidate Joe knows the products, knows customers and knows the industry. He strikes you as competent but not that too hungry. Joe is what I call a plug-and-play. He is ready to go and won’t require much of your time
The second candidate Rob is passionate, driven and eager to prove himself. You like his attitude and willingness to do what it takes. He has some sales experience but will require some work. Rob will need training and coaching to get up to speed.
I have worked with many sales managers who feel under the gun to hire. They are overburdened with achieving their sales numbers, dealing with head office and now they have to hire a rep. I am sure you can relate. If you feel pressured, the easiest thing you can do is hire Joe the plug and play. He will make your life easier in the short term.
But you need to resist the temptation. The tip of the week is DON’T HIRE THE PLUG AND PLAY.
The plug-and-play will not always give you a high level of performance in the long term. I like Rob. He has a winning attitude. He may have a slower start, but he will develop the relationships and knowledge that he lacks within six months. He will most likely be a better performer over time.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s tip. Do you want to get more Sales Management Tips?
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