Note: This is limited to my experience in hiring for Sales and Customer Success roles.
I have had the pleasure of working with and observing great salespeople. None of them is remotely trying to be similar in their demeanour, communication, the way they talk, or how they operate internally or with customers.
Yet there are a few traits that are similar - traits they would not even know themselves.
Resumes are like taxi medallions now. Hiring based on resumes is more probabilistic than hiring for success.
But let me ask you - do you really believe that the level of talent and abilities is similar for two similar resumes? If you look at your hires based on resumes and just experience - how has that worked out? Who is the best performing AE for you?
Looking for truth beyond resumes
1. Intrinsic Desire to Win
This kind of talent does not need motivation. They understand their value, and that is reflected well in the hiring cycle.
Here is how to figure out if they have that intrinsic drive:
- Can they tell you clearly about the personal milestone they would like to accomplish in the next 1 to 2 years?
- Can they articulate what drives them - money, closing big logos, showing or proving that they are the best, or growing faster in the org?
- Can they tell you about a goal they set for themselves in their last org that goes beyond their quota numbers? (I will crack the biggest deal. I will crack the first deal in this market.)
- Can they tell you about one deal they refused to give up - and how far they went to move that deal forward?
2. Smart and Resourceful
These people understand your business faster than others. They ask the right questions, and without you telling them, they are already evaluating your company and your market.
- During the interview process, were they interested in learning about the business and the market from you?
- Did they ask you how you win deals in this market? How you stand out?
- During the evaluation process, were they able to present you with enough information that showed they went deep in understanding your product and market?
These people go beyond the surface. They are not looking for their next job - they are looking for a team, a product, and a company they can win with.
3. Courage and Intuition
Overlooked ability - courage and fearlessness.
- Can they tell you about a decision they took despite their manager cautioning them?
- Can they tell you about a courageous decision they made in a sales cycle?
- What unique insight did they have that made them take that courageous decision?
- Did they ever chase a particular deal even if it was not the best qualified one?
4. Coaching and Adaptability
How do they perform in a constantly evolving environment?
- Have they been part of an org that has introduced new products, entered new markets, or changed product positioning?
- Can they mention a specific piece of critical feedback they received - and how they responded to it?
- Have they been part of an org that has seen people leaving, and the pace of hiring and re-hiring going on?
5. A Constant Learning Machine
Not more knowledge - but constantly refining what good looks like. They like winning, but losing stays with them.
- Who do they look up to? Where do they learn from?
- Have they had training that changed the way they look at sales?
- What was the source of learning in their previous roles?
- Which person influenced them the most throughout their career?
- Which aspect of the sales cycle do they practise?
- What are the deals they have lost that hurt them the most?
These questions are seemingly more important today than what their experience and achievement numbers suggest. Sure, check them, evaluate them, but past success or experience should only be a baseline.