Many recruiting ads and job descriptions include "knockout 
factors" that can actually screen out QUALIFIED sales candidates. 
One example is a requirement that candidates have an 
undergraduate degree, a graduate degree, or a degree in a 
specialized field of study such as Engineering. Another example 
is a requirement that candidates have a minimum number of years 
of sales experience.

When my customers' recruiting ads and job descriptions include 
these types of knockout factors, I like to have a little fun with 
them. I say something like:

   "(Name), imagine that I have two candidates for your sales 
   job opening. One of them has both the college degree and 
   the five years of sales experience that are listed as minimum 
   requirements in your recruiting ad. The other candidate 
   doesn't have a college degree, and she only has two years of 
   sales experience. But, she has relationships with DOZENS of 
   C-level executives that are good prospects for your company's 
   products and services. She could easily book FIFTEEN 
   APPOINTMENTS during her first week on the job. Which 
   candidate would you prefer?"

As you might expect, my customers always choose the candidate 
with the relationships. That is when I have to deliver the bad 
news:

   "(Name), unfortunately you will never see this candidate, 
   because she is being screened out by your knockout factors!"

If you want to improve the overall quality of your sales 
candidate pool, shift your focus AWAY from education and 
experience and TOWARD performance-based measures. How will you 
measure your new salespeople's performance during their first 
thirty, sixty, ninety, and 180 days? What ACTIVITIES will you 
expect them to perform? What RESULTS will you expect these 
activities to produce, and in what TIME FRAME?

Here is an outline for a recruiting process that focuses on 
performance-based factors:


1. Write a Performance-Based Recruiting Ad: As you construct your 
ad, consider the following questions:

 * What kinds of companies or organizations are good prospects 
   for your company's products and services? Your ad should 
   state a preference for job candidates that have existing 
   relationships with these kinds of companies and organizations.

 * Who are the most productive people (job titles) for your 
   salespeople to call on? Your ad should state a preference 
   for candidates that have existing relationships with people 
   that have these titles, and/or a proven ability to prospect 
   successfully to people at similar levels.

 * What specific sales production (such as pipeline dollar 
   volume, sales dollar volume, etc.) do you expect your new 
   salespeople to produce during their first 90 days? Make 
   this expectation crystal clear in your recruiting ad!


2. Scrutinize Resumes for Accomplishments: Smart salespeople know 
that RESULTS SELL. When these salespeople prospect, they talk to 
potential prospects about the results their companies have 
produced for customers. When they write resumes, they write about 
the results they have produced and their other accomplishments 
(awards, recognition, etc.).

3. Conduct Telephone Screening Calls: For candidates that have 
interesting resumes, schedule a 20-30 minute telephone screening 
call. This will give you an opportunity to ask performance-based 
questions related to two critical performance factors: the 
candidate's RELATIONSHIPS and their PROSPECTING ACTIVITIES. Here 
are sample screening call questions:

 * Who do you know that might be a prospect for our company's 
   products and services?

 * What relationships do you have that could be leveraged for 
   appointments during your first few weeks on the job?

 * What activities do you typically include in your prospecting 
   plan?

 * What percentage of your time do you spend on each activity?

 * What results have these activities produced for you in the 
   past?

 * How long did it take before you started making quota 
   consistently in your current job?


4. Assess Qualified Candidates: For candidates that pass the 
telephone screen, gather OBJECTIVE information about their 
talents via specialized sales assessment tests. The most 
effective sales assessment tests go beyond personality and 
behavioral traits and examine attributes such as Learning Rate 
and Reasoning Ability.


5. Conduct In-Person Interviews: Now you are prepared to conduct 
thorough, performance-based interviews. Why? Look at the 
information you have collected! For each candidate that you are 
going to interview, you should have in your hands:

 * A resume that lists key ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 * PERFORMANCE-BASED information collected during a telephone 
   screening call

 * OBJECTIVE information about talents critical to sales success

If you ask performance-based questions and clearly outline your 
expectations for new hire sales performance, you will attract 
FEWER POOR CANDIDATES, as some will de-select themselves. You 
will also attract MORE STRONG CANDIDATES, as they will no longer 
be screened out by invalid "knockout factors". The end result 
will be a steady improvement in the overall quality of your sales 
organization. 

Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat 
the 80/20 Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don't Perform 
and What to Do About It. His company, 80/20 Sales Performance, 
helps business owners, executives, and managers DOUBLE sales 
by implementing The Right Formula™ for building top-performing 
sales teams. For more information and more FREE sales and sales 
management tips, visit http://www.8020salesperformance.com