Beyond Hard Skills

Aligning Sales Reps With the Right Companies

The "best" talent often has very little to do with being the RIGHT talent for an organization.

"Top talent" is often measured only by how much revenue a rep has generated (a signal of proficiency in relevant "hard skills" - sales chops).

However, this is only ONE of the critically important variables contributing to the ideal fit between a rep and company.

So, what else matters?

• Soft Skills: Interpersonal attributes that enable effective and harmonious interaction with others, such as articulate communication, critical thinking, and initiative.

• Culture: Alignment of values, beliefs, and behavior with the organization.
• Capacity to Learn: Potential. Adaptability and willingness to develop new skills and competencies to meet evolving organizational needs.

Both sales reps and business owners would do well to consider all of these factors.

Sales reps: Understand the value you bring to an organization that goes beyond cash collected and close rates - focus on developing and improving weak areas.

Business owners: Avoid narrow-mindedness and develop a comprehensive hiring strategy that considers other factors crucial to a healthy company ethos.

Approach hiring with the same diligence and specificity you use in identifying your ideal customer. Get clear on what variables must align with your hires.

Both parties doing their part will ensure a better "Match Quality" and reduce the likelihood that the match turns out to be a poor fit after the fact.

--{Stay Humble, Hustle Hard}--

~ZB