The Number One Skill to Look for When Hiring | Sales Strategies
January 24, 2020
When it comes to hiring, the number one skill or behavior to look for is teachability/coachability.
As a manager, you want people who don’t think they know it all. You want people who are willing to learn, change, and grow as the market, your product, and customers demand it.
As a seller, you need to show your managers that you are willing to learn. Because if you show up to an interview acting and behaving like you know it all, you will likely not get the job.
The Questions You Can Ask as a Manager in an Interview to Determine if Someone Is Teachable
- “What have you read?”
- “What workshops have you attended?”
- “What websites do you frequently visit?”
- “What sales tips or processes have you implemented in the last year?”
You are looking for the fact that they have done something—whether it’s, indeed, a corporate workshop, reading on their own, or following a particular speaker or influencer. If they say nothing, that is the first red flag.
Are They Implementing?
The next thing we will want to know is if they are implementing. For example, if you asked them what they implemented from that book, workshop, or speaker, and they mentioned that they already knew it and it was just a refresher—another red flag. You will want to know if they are genuinely learning, developing new skills, and implementing.
In asking the aforementioned questions, you will be able to determine if they are coachable. If they are not coachable, I would put on the brakes. It’s incredibly difficult to have someone on your team that is entrenched in the position in which they sell today because the market is going to change.
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Knowing a lot can be OK. YOU bring up very good points about asking questions to determine if the prospective hire is willing to accept teaching new things and processes and willing to be coached. Very important for the organization