Getting the real picture in sales

1. Planning Interviews

While interviews may be the most common of selection techniques, they are effective only if they focus on factors that are truly observable. The format should be structured and applied consistently across all candidates. An interview:

Can:
offer an avenue to explore or explain unclear background data
provide an opportunity to evaluate presentation skills, poise, appearance, and the ability to think on one's feet
furnish an opportunity to check stress tolerance, planning, and some learning ability

Can't:
verify honesty or integrity
separate real motivation from the present need for a job
provide totally objective and valid proof of non-bias for legal purposes (in most cases)

2. Conducting Interviews

Determine the job-relevant characteristics and skills necessary to do the job successfully, and define the purpose of a specific, upcoming interview. This will depend on where the interview is positioned in the selection process. Earlier interviews typically screen people out, while later interviews focus on confirming a positive impression which could lead to an offer.

Prepare the questions to probe the candidate and determine the match between the person and the job. Start the interview by greeting the candidate in a professional manner, establishing rapport, and stating the objective for this specific interview. Allot time to discuss each key area you need to talk about, before you discuss the job requirements and your company. Finish by telling the candidate the next steps and by reviewing what to expect.

3. Put the Candidate at Ease

This is often called a "permissive environment." By helping the person to feel free to talk, you create the opportunity for the applicant to provide more candid responses.

Listen - Don't Give Away the Show
The key point of a selection interview is to gather information, not to sell. Even naive and inexperienced candidates can follow interview clues projected by a talkative interviewer, allowing them to package their answers. Practice the 80/20 Rule: listen to the applicant 80% of the interview; talk 20%.

Silence - Don't Be Afraid of It
Too much talking on your part is an indication of your own discomfort with silence. Similarly, the need for an interviewee to talk too much indicates discomfort with silence, a characteristic that can hinder future sales success. No one can listen while talking.

Offer Opportunity - Not Just Security
Good salespeople tend to survive on their own merits and expect to be rewarded as a result. They prefer more opportunities for growth, not just long-term security. They may be unwilling to commit to guarantees for employment tenure.

4. A Structured Interview Example

In terms of overall impact on the value of an interview, "asking the right questions" is second only to understanding what you are looking for in the first place. For an in-depth interview, we advocate a "Cone Approach." When using this approach, the interviewer starts by asking open-ended questions which focus on a characteristic sought in the candidate.

A Sales Example
Successful performance is supported by a number of critical skills. Using a Cone Approach to evaluate customer relations skill could flow as follows:

General: Describe a long-standing customer relationship you've had.
Focus: What tactics have worked well to help maintain the relationship?

Look for: a recognition of situations which may become problems in the future
a focus on building goodwill
pro-activity in asking the customer for ways to improve
not allowing previous problems to bias how customers are treated now

Specific: On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 = high) how would you rate your ability to nurture customer relationships and why?

Look for: willingness to listen to customer's challenges and help problem-solve even in unrelated areas
helping customer stay abreast of changes that may be of benefit
objective and cool-headed approach; not trying to impress for its own sake

5. What To Avoid

In many countries, it is illegal for employers to disqualify job candidates based on a variety of personal characteristics, so be well versed in the applicable labour legislation.