20 Nov 2014
The #1 Reason Why Candidates Get Rejected in a Sales Interview (and What to do About It)
Having conducted literally thousands of interview debriefs with hiring managers, I can confidently say that there is a #1 reason why interviewees get passed on. They simply talk too much. This is sales 101 stuff, two ears, one mouth and yet I see experienced sales professionals with impressive resumes commit this sin every day. Most of them (I hope) have learned how to curb this...
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by Chris Carlson
in Candidates - Sales Professionals, Employers - Sales Leaders / HR, Evaluating Talent, Interviewing, Interviewing, Sales Career Tips, Sales Management Career Tips
13 Nov 2014
How (and Why) to Use a Brag Book During a Sales Interview
If a sales opportunity is good enough to interview for, it’s good enough to put in the proper effort to win the position. Separating yourself from your competition during the interview process has multiple steps to it. Today we’re going to discuss using a brag book during a sales interview to prove your sales accomplishments and ultimately earn the job. In our Resources section we...
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by Chris Carlson
in Employers - Sales Leaders / HR, Evaluating Talent, Interviewing, Retention, Sales Management Career Tips
06 Nov 2014
Sales Rep Tenure – Is There Such a Thing as Too Much?
This is part 2 on the topic of sales rep tenure. Last week we covered the topic of job hoppers. This week, we turn to the dangers of hiring reps that have been with their current employer for too long. Once a sales rep has been at a company for longer than 7-8 years, warning bells go off for me. This is especially true if they...
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by Chris Carlson
in Employers - Sales Leaders / HR, Evaluating Talent, Interviewing, Retention, Sales Management Career Tips
30 Oct 2014
Job Hoppers – How Much is Too Much?
The topic of job hoppers, or employment stability, is a critical yet poorly understood topic. Few employers like job hoppers but fewer still have any tangible data on what’s acceptable, what’s not and why. In a perfect world, reject anyone with more than 2 jobs in the last 5 years. But what if that leaves you with a qualified talent pool of zero? Are there...
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23 Oct 2014
Hiring Manager Survey Results – Best and Worst Colors to Wear to an Interview
Early in my recruiting career I noticed a big purple Barney doll sitting on the desk of a Sales Manager while visiting with him on a client call. Of course I was curious as to why a 40 year old professional making six figures had a stuffed Barney on his desk. His answer? “That’s our rotating award for the Sales Manager who had the worst...
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by Chris Carlson
in Candidates - Sales Professionals, Evaluating Opportunities, Interviewing, Sales Career Tips
16 Oct 2014
How to Avoid Becoming a Mis-Hire
There are scores of semi-content sales professionals out there that know that there’s a better position out there for them. Each time they think about interviewing, one simple question stops them from leaving their current position. What if the next position doesn’t work out? It’s a very real risk but one that can be mitigated through solid questions and a thorough understanding of why you’re...
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09 Oct 2014
Where Most Interviewers Go Wrong (Part 2)
In Part 1 I addressed the need to explore concerns and “Red Flags” that get uncovered during an interview. The follow-up to this is when should you ignore a “Red Flag” or concern? A pet peeve of mine is when a solid candidate gets passed on for a reason that does not relate to the candidate’s ability to perform or fit in with the team...
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by Chris Carlson
in Employers - Sales Leaders / HR, Evaluating Talent, Interviewing, Sales Management Career Tips
02 Oct 2014
Where Most Interviewers Go Wrong (Part 1)
One of the goals of an interview should be to uncover the interviewee’s strengths and weaknesses. For the purpose of this post I’m going to focus on uncovering inconsistencies and exploring red flags. A big barrier to accomplishing this is the time constraint that most interviews are under. You have a lot to cover and a comparatively short timeframe to accomplish it. This internal clock...
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by Chris Carlson
in Attracting Talent, Candidates - Sales Professionals, Employers - Sales Leaders / HR, General Business, Sales Career Tips, Sales Management Career Tips, Sales Tips
25 Sep 2014
13 Common Linkedin Profile Picture Mistakes
TheLadders posted an excellent article Your Profile Picture is Bringing You Down on how your profile picture could be undermining your career search. These same tips hold true for an even more important property, your Linkedin Profile. Having personally viewed far too many Linkedin Profiles in my search for sales superstars; I can testify to the importance of a professional and appealing photo. It conveys...
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by Chris Carlson
in Candidates - Sales Professionals, Interviewing, Resume Writing, Sales Career Tips, Sales Tips
18 Sep 2014
Linkedin Profile Tips to Land Your Dream Sales Job
Often landing that dream sales job begins by simply getting noticed and I have a few Linkedin Profile tips to help make that happen. Even if you’re getting more attention from sales recruiters on Linkedin than you’d like; it might be from the wrong ones. Serious sales recruiters, the ones representing A level opportunities, are selective in who they approach. They (and their clients) see...
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