What makes a good sales candidate?

The wrong candidate often lands the sales job in today's hiring process because of a single misplaced belief.

That belief: Sales people rise or fall on social skills, so the ability to sell themselves means they will be good at selling their next employer's products or services, whatever those may be.

Genova Technologies President Scott Stimart said there's a reason for the emphasis on social skills.

“They must be sociable, absolutely,” he said. “They have to be likeable and they have to like what they do.

“If they are not a sociable person, it is a tough job. You have to enjoy other people.”

But sociability is more a starting point than an end point for finding a company's next great rainmaker.

Entrepreneurial Development Center of Iowa Director Curt Nelson noted that hiring managers too often choose sales candidates just because they feel comfortable with them. And feeling comfortable with someone, Nelson said, often just means that they share similar backgrounds or personality traits.

Big talkers also may be receiving more than their due, he added.

“If they are going to tell you all about (themselves) and don't let you talk, they are not a professional sales person,” Nelson said.

He looks for sales candidates who listen carefully and ask good questions to better understand the employer's sales system and expectations.

Nelson said listening is at least as important as persuasion in sales, even though relationship-building skills are often considered the most critical. In his book, “The Recipe for Business Success,” Nelson recalled offering $100 at a sales seminar to the person who could tell him the most important benefit of their process.

None of them claimed the prize.

“The one that is most important to the customer,” was the simple answer. But the sales person will never learn that without listening and asking good questions, he said.

Genova Technologies's Stimart, a former sales manager, said he goes beyond the basics when interviewing and evaluating candidates.

Yes, Stimart checks references - he often even calls former sales accounts of candidates who were not listed as references. And he quizzes job hopefuls about their sales record and sales awards at previous employers.

Unlike a manager without sales experience, Stimart also asks very pointed questions about the applicant's sales process.

Stimart wants to know how applicant's make cold calls, what their follow-up system is for checking back on sales contacts, and how they organize their time to maximize selling opportunities.

Stimart recently hired a sales person for Genova Technologies even though the processes she described were different than those he would choose for himself. What is important, he explained, is that they have a clear process that they can executive effectively.

“Sales is all about building a relationship and making a promise, and fulfilling that promise,” Stimart said.

Professional recruiter Bill Humbert of therecruiterguy.com recommends that the hiring process start with creation of a thorough job description.

“The job description provides the footings for the sourcing process, interviewing process, onboarding process and retention process,” Humbert said.

Humbert recommends that the job description include 3- , 6- and 9-month and one-year goals for the sales position.

“If the job description is well written, there's no surprises at the end of the first year,” said Humbert, a former Iowan who now lives in Park City, Utah.

If hiring sales people is more difficult than hiring for other positions, Nelson said that may be because there is no college degree that validates a sales candidate's knowledge in the field.

“The only thing that pre-validates you is your track record,” Nelson said. “What have your skills allowed you to attain?”

Nelson said he would ask candidates questions such as how many months or years they have met their previous employer's sales goals, and how many times they've made their employer's top circle of sales achievers, such as a President's Club.

As sales professionals are evaluted almost entirely by sales, Nelson said longevity also can be an indication of sales success. He would be wary of candidates who listed a string of short-term sales positions unless they had verifiable reasons for the short employment tenure.

He added that hiring processes should vary with the kind of sales position. Sales people who are motivated almost entirely by the allure of a larger commission check may be successful in products or services with short sales cycles, such as real-estate or auto sales.

The most highly compensated sales people often work in consultative sales positions that involve long sales cycles, Nelson said. Instead of simply worrying about the size of their next commission check, they want to be have the best overall track record, and the most satisfied customers.

According to Curt Nelson, director of the Entrepreneurial Development Center of Iowa, there are very specific characteristics to look for when interviewing sales candidates. Here are some of the principal traits to consider:

1.  A desire to win - The candidate wants to be on top in sales numbers

2.   A sense of urgency - doesn't procrastinate or wait for luck to change

3.   Self-structured - is able to serve as his or her own secretary, bookkeeper, driver, and whatever else the job requires

4.   Organized - is able to set goals and make the necessary plans to reach them.

5.   Resilient - has the ability to get a “no” for an answer, and not take it personally

6.   Adaptability - possesses the ability to learn from rejection, and adapt more effective approaches

7.   Money motivated - accepts that rewards are based on performance.