Do you have to hire salespeople?
Here is probably the most important thing you can do when you interview any candidate.
After you’ve asked most of the questions you want to ask, say this to them,
“I don’t think this interview is going too well. Maybe we should just end it here.”
Any salesperson worth his or her salt will start asking questions and will try to re-engage you.
If they don’t, they can’t sell.
The person who agrees with your statement and gives up will probably give up in front of a prospect at the first objection.
You don’t want to hire that person for a sales job.
Just sayin’.
Cheers,
Steve
I mostly agree. Do please be careful when you use this. If the interview IS going well and you pull this on a great salesperson, who is well trained in assessing the situation, you may plant a BIG seed of doubt whether or not they want to work with/for someone who obviously cannot. With all due respect, if you’re interviewing the type of salesperson candidate who would give up this easily, you’re not doing a great job of recruiting quality candidates. That’s may be a bigger problem to address.