Hello, I am Steve Suggs, sales recruiting expert and author of the book, Can They Sell.
Welcome to my sales recruitment video blog where you learn to hire the best sales people.
While coaching sales managers, I’ve found that the reference check is the most commonly
overlooked step in the process of hiring salespeople.
Managers tell me that they don't check references because the candidate will only give references
who will say great things about them, or it's impossible to get references to talk to you
because of their fear of a lawsuit.
Both of these are legitimate reasons, but I’ve discovered a way to get over both of
these hurdles and get six references to talk to me about the candidate.
I’ve even had two Wal-mart executives give me a reference for a candidate using this
method that I'm about to show you.
Here's the reference check method.
It's important that you follow every step, because each step builds on the previous step.
Also, this method is not only a way to get six references who will talk to you, but it's
also an assignment for the candidate to test their ability to follow instructions, follow
up on important tasks, and measure how badly they want the job.
Step 1–tell the candidate to provide you with six references in these three categories:
2 former bosses, 2 former coworkers, and 2 former customers.
The coworkers should be people with whom they worked closely on a daily basis.
Not people who reported to them or people to whom they reported, but coworkers with
whom they work side-by-side.
If you’re recruiting someone without sales experience, ask them for two business people
in the community who can vouch for them.
Step 2 - Tell the candidate that you want six people, that when you call them, they
will say great things about you.
If you're thinking that this step sets the candidate up for success, you are going to
be surprised as to how many candidates fail this step of the test.
Strong candidates will give you six references in the three categories you have requested
and will call the references and alert them to the fact that you will be calling them
and will tell them to please say great things about them.
On the other hand, weaker candidates provide fewer than six references, multiple references
in the wrong categories, and they don’t even take the time to call the references
to make sure phone numbers work and to alert the reference that you’ll be calling.
If a candidate cannot follow this simple assignment, it's typically a good sign that they’re
not serious about a career, nor will they be capable of completing much harder job tasks
that you will be giving them the first week on the job.
For those candidates who follow your instructions, you now have six individuals who will talk
to you with permission from the candidate.
So we've gotten over the first hurdle of finding people who will talk to us.
We get over the second hurdle of only hearing the good things about the candidate by having
great questions prepared to ask the referral source.
Ask questions like: What were they hired to do?
Why did they leave?
What positive words of reference do you have?
What were their best qualities as a salesperson?
In what areas do they need the most development?
Would you rehire them?
And, there are many others.
For a complete reference check questionnaire please visit CanTheySell.com.
These questions warm up the referral source for more direct questions.
By the time I get to the reference check, I've interviewed the candidate over the telephone,
they’ve completed an e-mail questionnaire, and I’ve conducted a face-to-face interview
with detailed questions regarding the 5 dimensions of top salespeople.
By now, I have a pretty good idea of the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses.
I now use a technique that I learned from the TV detective, Columbo.
While interviewing a suspect, when he wasn't getting the detailed information that he wanted,
he would turn to leave the room, place his hand on the doorknob, and before turning the
doorknob, he would turn to the suspect and say, “Oh, By the Way I have one more question.”
This “Oh By the Way question” was always an important question that usually revealed
the truth.
So, after I've warmed up the referral source with a few of my standard reference check
questions, I throw out the “Oh, By the Way question”.
“How well did Ted manage his time?”
“How well did Ted get along with others?”
“Can you trust everything that Ted tells you?”
Before the phone call, I simply write down some questions related to the potential weaknesses
that I have observed in the candidate up to this point in the interview process.
Most of the time, the referral source says good things about the candidate, and many
times will give additional information about some of the challenges the candidate has.
These challenges may not be things that are significant enough that you wouldn’t select
the candidate for the job, but the information from the referral source is information that
you will need for coaching and training.
Remember, it's not always what people say when they answer these questions, but more
importantly, how they say it.
Pay attention to the tone of their voice.
Do they hesitate before they answer, because they may be trying to not reveal a weakness
in the candidate.
Notice the difference between things like, “Ted gets along well with everyone” vs.
“Yes, Ted pretty much gets along with almost everyone.”
You'll be surprised that once you get someone on the telephone who has been asked by the
candidate to give a reference what they will tell you about the candidate.
Sometimes, you simply get lucky.
I once had a candidate who gave me a reference, and I happened to know the reference personally,
and when I called him, the first thing out of his mouth was, “Oh your interviewing
crazy Kathy.”
Wow, did I get lucky.
Here are two additional questions that will give you more insight to the strength and
weaknesses of the candidate: “Who are two other people that I could call, who will say
great things about Ted?”
Then ask for someone that Ted worked with that he didn't get along well with.
How quickly the referral source gives you two other names that will say great things
about Ted is an indication of his strength as a candidate.
If the referral source says something like, “I really can't think of anyone that Ted
didn't get along well with.”
Versus something like, “Well, Ted pretty much got along with just about everyone.”
Or, “I’m not really comfortable giving out names like that.”
Remember, it’s not always what they say when giving you more names to call, but how
they say it.
Keep in mind, that it's important to give the candidate these exact instructions.
How well they follow the instructions is a test which will measure many character and
personality traits.
Also, this method will give you the opportunity to talk to six people who will give you surprising
information about the candidate.
When hiring salespeople, check the references using this method so that you don't rob yourself
of the opportunity to possibly get important information about the candidate that will
help you make an important hiring decision.
Thank you for joining me.
See you next time on the Can They Sell video blog for more sales job recruitment training.
As always, please leave your comments below and forward this video to anyone who will
benefit.
Now go enjoy recruiting the best, and have fun while checking references.