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The Salesperson Hiring Process

Hiring the right people can be less work than you think�

You know that old rap on how managers hire salespeople?

Check for a social security number
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Sadly, this is closer to reality than we�d all like to believe. Managers sometimes make poor hiring decisions because of the pressure to simply maintain a proper salesperson-to-floor-traffic ratio. And we�ve all dealt with the fact that it�s tough to find good people.

So which would you say requires more work?

A. Hiring the first candidate who you like, who presents a good personality and a relatively stable work history? Or,
B. Putting every candidate through a critical series of interviews, personality tests and background checks?

If you answered A, you�ll be happy to know you�re with the in crowd. That�s the way most dealerships select their salespeople. And it�s absolutely wrong!

Gary Rogers, Chairman and CEO of Dreyer�s Grand Ice Cream said, "You can�t spend too much time or effort on hiring smart. The alternative is to manage tough, which is much more time consuming."

Consider how much time, money and effort you put into training the wrong people. Then consider how many salespeople have come and gone during the last year or two. Now you have a pretty good idea of whether or not you need to revamp your hiring process.

So invest the time up front to hire the right people and you�ll save time and money in the long run.