John Musser, an OMG Partner in Atlanta, recently shared an observation with me.  He found that when his clients didn't care for a candidate who was recommended by our Sales Candidate Assessment, he was able to correlate his client's perception to a single finding: Won't Develop Relationships Quickly.

A number of clients misinterpret this finding, thinking it means that the candidate won't develop relationships at all.  But it's not that they won't develop relationships, it's that it won't happen quickly during the first meeting.  When the client is left feeling indifferent, it's often because the candidate wasn't successful at making a connection in that first interview.

There are two ways in which one could look at this:

1. Knowing that the candidate is a bit slow to warm up, cut him some slack, bring him back for a second interview, give him another chance and overlook his performance from the first interview.
2. Know that what you see is what you'll get and his inability to quickly develop a relationship will prevent him from making prospects comfortable enough to answer the types of good, tough, timely questions which are the hallmark of effective consultative selling.

Did a sales candidate ever accept your job offer only to backout prior to the agreed upon start date because the individual decided to stay with the current employer?

This happened to a client and it had a tremendous ripple effect.

1. They had already let the former inside salesperson go - now instead of an ineffective salesperson, they have nobody in the role.
2. They must restart the sales recruiting process.  Ideal candidates are more difficult to find compared with a year ago so this could take another 60-90 days.
3. The president is the primary outside salesperson and now must cover the inside salesperson's role.
4. Covering the inside sales role and recruiting for a new inside salesperson will cause sales and management of the company to suffer.
5. Others in the company who need his attention will not get as much of it as they need.

Suppose you are interviewing a candidate and there is a whole lot to like.  On the other hand, you observe and hear some things that you don't like.  

Suppose you have a great first interview with a candidate but you interview the same person, who seems to be a completely different candidate in the second interview?  

What if you conducted the great first interview and the person who conducted the second interview did not feel the same way as you did?  

What if someone else conducted a great first interview and you did not feel the same way as the other person?

You can overlook what you like and discount the candidate.  

You can overlook what you don't like and hire the candidate - a compromise.  

Or you can play best 2 out of 3.

Call the candidate - it has to be spontaneous to catch him/her off guard - and explain what you liked.  Then tell the candidate that there were several things that concerned you, explain what those things are, and shut up.

Allow the candidate address the issues.  If it was a crucial gap in expertise you will obviously have to find another candidate.  If it is a question as to how hungry, skilled, capable, personable, presentable or connected the candidate might be, provide them with an opportunity to change your mind.  If they say, "Yeah, you're right", or "I understand", the no's have it.  If they push back, attempt to change your mind, explain a misunderstanding, correct a fact or otherwise attempt to resurrect your perception of them, ask them to "prove it".  

You should pay more attention to HOW they respond (whether they apologize, keep their cool, provide a simple, concise explanation, are credible; or whether they make excuses, become defensive, stutter, become uncomfortable, etc.), than what they say.

It's best 2 out of 3 so whether they duplicate the favorable or unfavorable impression, it's the final impression that counts.

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I have previously shared many instances of sales candidate assessments coming to life with their email, voice mails and interview antics following the taking of our assessment.  While the following email is another example of that, it is an even better example of what happens when a skeptical client finally realizes it:

The client wrote:

"...You'll recall I questioned the criteria we were screening for, and asked you if I had missed the mark, principally because we received a "no" recommendation on [the] rep one of our partners was considering hiring.  ...His e-mail note to me is a terrific example of what one should never do, particularly when irritated. It gives me newfound credence in the validity of your test, and sound evidence that with this guy they probably got it right.  The test said he has trouble controlling his emotions. I felt this was an odd evaluation based on the fact that this guy is a former Army Ranger, and ought to be disciplined and controlled. The test said he didn't take rejection well. I don't believe anyone takes it well, but I figured a 17 year sales professional had probably learned to deal with it. The test said he was prone to inappropriate follow ups with prospects. His e-mail to me is about as inappropriate as any I have ever seen. Finally the test said the candidate isn't as strong as he thinks he is. I concur. I am copying his e-mail here:"

Next came the candidate's email:

"I answered a survey for you at least three to four weeks ago and received no further information. Is your follow up usually this unprofessional and non existent or is this just an aberration?  If you have the courage to call you know how to reach me."

So the candidate's tendency to become emotional was triggered by the rejection he felt.  While his follow up was, in fact, inappropriate, the finding of "Inappropriate Follow Up" really refers to getting into chase mode because the candidate didn't close when the closing opportunity presented itself or attempted to close too early.

The more important lessons come from the two assumptions made by the client:

• Trained military men don't become emotional - Sure they learn to take orders and dodge bullets without reacting.  However, when things go wrong, they are as vulnerable to becoming as emotional as anyone else. 
• Veteran salespeople don't feel rejection.  If all it took to develop the ability to quickly recover from rejection was time on the job, the insurance companies and copier companies, industries that historically choose young people for their new salespeople, would hire veteran salespeople instead.
• We shouldn't make any assumptions about any salespeople other than those that appear in black and white on Objective Management Group's Sales Candidate Assessment.  If we do, we are very likely to make a hiring mistake.
• Track record is not a likely indicator of success in sales unless you are duplicating all of the candidate's prior conditions including existing customers, target customer by title, external competition, internal competition, pricing policy, resistance to overcome, economy, industry, product quality, sales management, and company reputation.

(c) Copyright 2009 Dave Kurlan