The Three Cs of Elite Sales Talent
Ever hired someone who had a strong resume and interviewed well but ultimately wasn't successful?
Happens all the time.
Sometimes, these failed salespeople weren't provided with the proper training. Other times, circumstances surfaced that prevented them from becoming who you hoped they'd become.
But the most common reason elite salespeople don’t work out is that you shouldn’t have hired them in the first place. Being a good salesperson isn’t enough. They need to be the right person to sell your offerings, able to thrive in the environment you provide them.
If you’ve ever interviewed salespeople, you know that no two candidates are alike, even if they’re in the same quadrant of the Elite Salesperson Matrix. The Matrix will help you determine what type of salesperson you need, but then you have to interview candidates to discover:
If they are elite, and then;
If they sell how they need to based on the requirements of your offering (see the Matrix).
Even if they are elite, doesn’t mean they’ll be successful on your team under your leadership. Many competent salespeople fail because they are on the wrong team, in the wrong role, and serving under leadership that isn't compatible with them.
The interview process will help you determine whether or not a candidate is elite, but competency alone won’t lead to a successful hiring decision. A sales leader’s interview process must also help you determine if the candidate will be a good fit–which is bigger than just competency; it involves character and chemistry.
Once you've changed your mindset and decided you're going after the best of the best, let me warn you that character and chemistry will play an elevated role in your team dynamic.
Character and chemistry doesn't matter on most teams. It only matters when you're hiring elite salespeople because they will stress it in a way that an average sales team won't. They demand an environment in which they can perform at their best, and if you introduce team members who undermine that environment, those elite salespeople will shortly leave.
How do you use the interview process to discover a candidate's character and chemistry? By asking the right questions, creating the right scenarios, and listening closely to the responses the candidate provides. Let's start with the first of the 3Cs, the most obvious: competence.
Competence
Competency is what most hiring managers look for first. It's the obvious and non-obvious stuff within the candidate—the ability to do the job well. Many sales leaders stop at competence because they're unaware of the importance of character and chemistry.
Two things are for sure:
Human Resources and management training won't cover it because it could be viewed as discriminatory and;
You won’t learn it in Business School
Other times (often in growth at all costs companies), sales leaders choose to ignore or neglect the importance of other non-obvious factors because the pressure to get the job filled suffocates their intuition about a candidate, and they settle—despite knowing it likely won't work out. These sales leaders hope their intuition about the candidate's misalignment with the role won't surface until months or years down the road. At that point, their bad hire will be someone else's problem.
Your responsibility to fill the job with the right candidate supersedes your responsibility to hire quickly
Sometimes, pressure from the board and management team to get the team fully staffed by a certain date forces sales leaders to crumble. They make concessions that ultimately cost the sales leader their job, but they don't know this immediately.
I ignored the non-obvious with a guy named Michael, and I'll never forget it. We did not have chemistry, but he had all the competencies of an elite salesperson.
He didn't want to be bothered by anyone who wasn’t a customer or a prospect. He didn't want to be a part of a team. He just wanted to do his job and go home, and his style didn't work for me. Other reps would call him and try to talk and connect and he wouldn't do it. He felt like any internal meeting was a waste of his time. He didn't want to talk to me, he wouldn’t take my call, and he had stuff to do—a quota to smash and commissions to earn. He wasn’t wrong. we just weren’t a match.
It didn't work, and I had to fire him.
I could recount all the obvious costs of this hiring mistake—time, recruiting fees, lost deals, and open territory. But also, because my hiring mistake was about character and chemistry, it cost me some credibility with my team. That was the most expensive cost. My team wondered if and how I planned to address Michael's behavior that was unacceptable to them. Once you make a bad hire, it's not always as easy to undo the decision as it was to make it. Each state's laws vary, and he worked in a state with employment laws that heavily favored the employee.
Your best candidate will impress you with their blend of obvious and non-obvious skills, but it's a mistake not to push further, explore character, and then chemistry.
Character
Character isn't characteristics. Every candidate should take some form of a behavioral assessment as part of the interview process. The results of that assessment will tell me a lot about how they think, are motivated, and work, but that's not character.
What I’m getting at with character is, what do you stand for? What have you struggled through? What you’ve had to overcome? A behavioral assessment won’t answer those questions.
A friend of mine recently hired a talented salesperson from Goldman Sachs, let's call him Joe. Joe was one of Goldman Sachs' top sales reps for nearly a decade. They're friends and went to business school together, so they have chemistry, and my friend knows that Joe is competent. The salesperson checks all the boxes on the behavioral assessment—a perfect match for the ideal candidate. He has all the non-obvious and obvious traits of an elite salesperson.
But Joe isn’t working out in the job.
He lacks certain character components, and his values are misaligned with those of the business leader and organization. For example, my friend, the CEO, has said to Joe, "When we're in meetings, put your phone down." Joe refuses to do it.
Joe mistakenly assumes that his special sales talent makes him special and, being special, rules don't apply to him. He lacks a set of beliefs and principles, indicating that he understands he's a small part of the bigger picture. He is the Earth, not the Sun, but Joe doesn't see it that way.
Joe is a good salesperson for the company, but in some instances, Joe thinks that he is the company. You'll hear him say things like, "My account" or "My customer."
He lacks character.
“But Nigel, aren’t elite-level salespeople THE band?”
Sure, Taylor Swift knows that when it comes to making music and performing, she's in a class of her own. She is the band in that sense. But she doesn't set the ticket prices, create the marketing material, sell the tickets, select a ticketing vendor, organize the shows with venues, ensure that security is in place, arrange the tour schedule and all lodgings, or even create the marketing material.
It's not lost on Taylor that, while she is 'the' band, she can't do it on her own. She doesn't think the world revolves around her, and according to employee testimonials, she treats the team with respect. She knows the operation doesn't work without her, but she also knows the Taylor Swift brand is bigger than one person, even if it is her name on the label.
Joe doesn’t.
Joe walks into the operations and starts yelling at people because the order was late or because they're not taking care of 'his' customer. He's lost a critical perspective: "When it goes well for you, Joe, who shipped it on time? Who packaged it appropriately?"
Knowing you're talented is one thing. Demanding that everyone give you special treatment is another. As the sales leader, it's my job to determine in the interview process whether the candidate views themselves as the Earth or the Sun.
Other Examples and Signs of Character Issues
The Who Interview (See Defining the Interview Process) will help you identify potential character issues. A good resume is filled with impressive accomplishments and statistics. Unfortunately, some achievements are overstated, stretched, or false. It's your job to use the Who Interview as an opportunity to validate these remarkable claims.
Recently, I interviewed a candidate with an impressive statistic of "closing a $12M deal—the largest in the company's history." I asked the candidate "How much did you personally earn from this sale?" the candidate couldn't give me an amount. They said they didn't remember. It sounded alarm bells for me. If you really sold the largest deal in company history, how do you not remember the commission? I was suspicious, but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. I asked if I could talk to the CEO of that company as a reference. The candidate said sure. She would connect us via email after the interview. A day later, the candidate sent me a note withdrawing from the interview process—stating that her tenure with the company didn't end well. I still don't know if she closed a $12M deal or not. I know something happened, and that's all I need to know.
Another time, a candidate listed an MBA from an elite Ivy League school on his resume. When I looked at the years he listed on his resume, it lined up with a few friends of mine who would have been his classmates. I asked if he knew either of them. That's when he disclosed that his "MBA" was actually an online, executive learning certificate.
Anyone with a few thousand dollars can get an online certificate from any Ivy League university that will present them as smarter and more qualified. Getting accepted to the same university's MBA program is a very different scenario. I'm not discounting executive education—I'm all for it—but I take issue with misleading a hiring manager by representing a course as an MBA.
Salespeople have earned a reputation for lacking character
For the most part, salespeople have earned the reputation of being sleazy, phony, manipulative, and egoic. Too many salespeople are chameleons, shifting their style and personality to create the illusion of connection, rapport, and commonality. It's disingenuous and coercive. They are bad actors who will present themselves however they need to get the sales.
You need to hire a salesperson who isn’t afraid to be real — an authentic person you can trust to be the same person after they get the job as they are when interviewing for the job. Someone who holds themself accountable to a standard and set of principles bigger than your job. They aren’t just characters playing a role to do well in an interview and get the job.
To evaluate a candidate’s character, you need to know where he’s coming from, how he arrived where he is, and where he sees himself ending up. An indicator of strong character is when you hear a candidate confidently talk about mistakes he’s made and what he learned from them. If you ask a candidate, “What’s your biggest weakness?” and he provides a response that resembles, “I work too much” or “I’m too competitive,” that's an indication that they are playing a role and that’s the line the actor believes the part requires them to say. The interview is over. Those aren’t real weaknesses. Those are phony responses given to masquerade as strengths.
Seek responses like:
“I struggle to manage conflict well and can be emotional,” or;
“I tend to wait until the last minute to finish my reports—even though I know the reports are important, I would rather spend time coaching,” or;
“I’m dyslexic so I prefer verbal over written communication.”
These are real opportunities to improve.
The character I'm talking about is a guiding set of principles or philosophies that the candidate believes in. Maybe it's religion, maybe it's spirituality. Whatever it is, it's an immutable truth in their life that has driven them to develop the non-obvious competencies you're looking for in a candidate (e.g., a life plan, awareness, insatiable curiosity, etc.).
I’m looking for broken people
Not broken in a negative way. Not damaged, defective, less desirable, raw, or lacking utility. Not that type of broken.
I'm talking about how a jockey talks about a stallion. I'm looking for someone who has been through the pits of life and used it as training so they can handle different types of pressure and strain. They can be ridden with little to no resistance. Unbroken stallions can't be ridden (led). Any form of restrain or resistance (struggles at work) causes them to buck, buckle, or run wild. Broken stallions live by a set of commands that indicate their next move. It's an honorable status and more desirable. That's the type of broken we're talking about.
Elite salespeople are all stallions. Some are broken, some unbroken. Find and hire stallions with principles and commands that guide how they live and work.
Every salesperson is flawed. They all come with weaknesses and opportunities to improve. Like broken stallions, the elite salespeople with character know what they need to improve upon and have a set of commands (principles and values) they surrender to as a teacher that guides their next move, like a bridle and reins. Your task is to uncover if the stallion is broken or unbroken.
Chemistry
Next up is chemistry. Looking for chemistry highlights the importance of compatibility between you and the candidate and between the candidate and others on the sales team. To work well with you and the team, the candidate needs to mesh in his relationships, habits, goals, interests, and work ethic. You are looking for something other than just someone who can do the job. The best salesperson (for you) will care about what he is selling, who he is working with, and how he gets it all done.
Shared Selling Purpose
An essential piece of chemistry is an alignment of purpose and a shared sense of nobility about your offering. In Selling with Noble Purpose, Lisa Earle McLeod highlights a study that reveals a key factor in the success of top-performing salespeople: they feel a genuine connection to the product or service they're selling. McLeod explains that the most successful salespeople don't just sell for profit or quotas; they believe in the impact their offering has on the customer's life. This sense of purpose drives them to perform better, fosters deeper customer relationships, and motivates them to excel. The study underscores that when salespeople believe their work has meaning, it leads to higher sales and greater job satisfaction.
Shared Interests
Discovering chemistry with a candidate can provide valuable insight that will benefit the organization and go beyond basic qualifications or typical answers to standard interview questions. Since I'm insatiably curious, I love hiring salespeople who can teach me something new.
For example, I like to ask a candidate about the last book they read. If they don't read or share an interest in constantly learning, we aren't going to work well together. I'm not judging them for not being readers or learners; rather, I'm observing that I believe leaders are readers, and I'm looking for leaders.
That speaks to vocational chemistry–the harmonious and productive relationship that develops between you, the candidate, and the rest of the team. It means you complement each other's skills, personalities, and work styles so that your collaboration leads to enhanced creativity, efficiency, and success. People with vocational chemistry understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, communicate effectively, and have a shared vision or goals that drive them toward mutual success. It requires honesty.
This type of chemistry often results in high trust, collaboration, and respect, making it easier to resolve conflicts and capitalize on each other's contributions. It's an essential ingredient for long-term professional success and fulfillment.
Vocational chemistry is required in your sales leadership role to build high-performing teams where members instinctively work well together to achieve strategic goals.
For example, maybe the candidate started their career in marketing and then became a great salesperson. Cool, they can keep us aligned with the marketing department. Do they have experience selling an offering that's new to us? Great, they can help us develop training materials for the rest of the team. Were they trained in a selling modality like Challenger Sales or Miller-Heiman? I love it. Teach us what you've learned.
That’s vocational chemistry, but you also need interpersonal chemistry.
Being a sales leader requires spending interpersonal time with everyone on the team so that they can be successful. We bring our entire selves to work, and you have to lead the whole person—not just the part that can sell well for you.
Every elite salesperson wants to be led, and you can only lead them once you know who they are and what they care about outside of work.
If you don't invest in the interpersonal chemistry with a good salesperson, you'll be the last to know what's happening in their life. When you're the last to know, you'll be surprised about non-work related decisions or decisions that the rep will make about their future that have implications on today and your future.
If you've ever had a rep you thought liked you, and you thought you were leading well, come to you and say, "I'm leaving to take another job; I've been interviewing for this position," and it feels like a big secret to you, that's a sign that you didn't do your job investing in interpersonal chemistry with them.
Jamie was an example of that for me. When he said, "I'm going to go work for an early-stage startup." I wasn't close enough to him. I was shocked. I wasn't leading him well.
Ultimately, you'll spend more time with your sales team than you will with your partner, spouse, or significant other. You have to like and enjoy everyone on the sales team, or you won't spend enough time with them. If you don't spend time with them and lead the whole person, you will fail them, and they will leave or fail you.
How do I Interview for vocational and interpersonal chemistry?
The best way to see if you have chemistry with a candidate (vocational and interpersonal) is to spend time with them in the interview process doing something you both enjoy. I once went surfing with a candidate during the interview process. I invited the candidate and a customer she would partner with (if she was hired) to go surfing together. We met at the beach, and I introduced the candidate to our customer. We surfed together, and it felt natural. We had chemistry—I hired her. She went on to be a solid rep and a good sales manager. Fast forward 10 years to the present, you will find her leading sales for one of the best companies in her industry.
Sometimes, I'll grab a coffee or beer with a candidate and see if we can talk about interests wholly separate from work for an hour. If we can't, we don't have chemistry.
Final Thoughts
I get it; you're motivated to hire quickly, and having a full team makes it easier to reach your growth goals. But a bad hire is a costly mistake. Remember the saying: "Slow to hire, quick to fire." Slow to hire means interviewing for all the Cs, not just competency.
Most executives and human resources professionals will not like or endorse these hiring practices. They either don't value character and chemistry or see this part of the process as excessive or discriminatory. It's neither. It's practical and honest. You're responsible for your interview process and the steps, not other executives or human resources. If you let them convince you to only interview for competency, you will be another statistic—a sales leader with excessive rep turnover.
