Bring in the “A Team”

It doesn’t matter how innovative your products or services are, without a strong sales team, your revenues will remain flat. So why make the mistake of not involving your top performing sales representatives in building out your team? Or worse, putting the selection process in the hands of under-performers?

Throughout my years of recruiting sales and marketing professionals, I have learned that the real secret to building a top sales force is to get your A players involved in the interview process. Top performers want to surround themselves with other top performers. They are motivated by success and thrive on the competition that comes from working with others who share their enthusiasm and drive. They gravitate toward other A players, and will use the interview to determine if they are joining a progressive team.

C players, on the other hand, will never hire A players. Whether it is because they are intimidated or because they don’t know what qualities to look for, under-performers simply do not have what it takes to play a key role in the recruitment process. What’s worse, someone who lacks the ability to motivate others could wind up costing you an A player if they sense that the person interviewing them might hinder their own ability to succeed. That is especially true if the C player happens to be someone your prospective A player would report to or work closely with.

The fact is, top sales talent needs to be sold on your company as much as you need to be sold on their skills. Putting them in front of anyone who does not present the sales team in its very best light, or who lacks the understanding of what makes an A player tick, is a recipe for disaster.