The #1 Lie Sales Candidates Tell

According to Salesforce 67% of sales reps don’t expect to meet their quota this year, and 84% missed it last year.

Then why is every candidate I interview telling me they met or exceeded their quota at their previous employer??

A colleague of mine, Lisa, was recently interviewing a promising candidate.?

She called me afterward, sounding a little skeptical.

“Kristie, I’ve got this guy claiming he was the #1 performer at not one, but two previous companies. Says he’s been closing six figures left and right. But I’m just not convinced. Can I even confirm his revenue? And, if I ask his former employers, will they share that info?”

Lisa’s gut was telling her to dig deeper, and I couldn’t have agreed more.?

?I told her: Peel back the onion.

“Start by asking how he achieved #1,” I suggested. “Ask him who came in at #2 and #3. If he’s really legit, he’ll know exactly who else was in the running and why he stood out. And don’t be afraid to ask him to introduce you to a former boss for a quick confirmation of those numbers.”

Then I shared something with her that I remind all my clients: less than 34% of SaaS sales reps even hit their quotas.

That means there’s a good chance that 1 out of every 3 candidates is exaggerating their accomplishments on their resume.

Lisa called back a week later, laughing. “You were right,” she said. “Turns out he wasn’t the top performer. And he couldn’t tell me who was.”?

She’d dodged a bullet by asking the tough questions—and she knew she’d never skip that step again.

The #Kristieism: Sales reps are professional interviewees….. Buyer BEWARE!

If someone has truly been a top performer, you’ll see it in the details of their story and the specifics of their achievements. Top Ten Percenters leave a trail of clear, verifiable patterns—co-workers who remember their wins, strategies that set them apart, and numbers that speak for themselves.?

When you ask the right questions, those patterns become obvious. But when things don’t line up? That’s a pattern, too.?

SKO season is fast approaching. I’d love to energize your team with a high-impact, keynote or interactive workshop that sharpens the soft skills necessary to become Top Ten Percenters. Check out my SKO Workshops.