Fuentes Fridays #0022

Here is your end-of-the-week insight into what I see going on in the business world, what I’m thinking about, and what I’m learning about. Forward anything that you feel inspired to share.

What I’m Hearing From Sales Leaders/Professionals

Over the past few weeks, I have been talking to many executives as they begin hiring for Q4 and 2025. The biggest concern they have is that they believe hiring sales professionals is like buying a lottery ticket—there is no guarantee.

Yes, they are right, there is no guarantee. However, there are ways to mitigate the risk of a bad hire. The first thing I tell them to do is define the process and make sure it’s consistent. If you don’t have a process, please reach out (I can send you a guide) or buy Travis Janko’s book, You of All People.

The second thing I tell them is to have an open mind. There is no archetype of personality for great sales professionals. I have met introverts and extroverts who have fallen across the spectrum of salesmanship, from bad to great.

The third thing, and this might be the most important thing, don’t create a false culture in the interview process. If you have a culture of high accountability and coaching, then the interview process should reflect that culture.

Too often, I hear from executives that they don’t want to scare off candidates. I tell them it’s not scaring them off. It’s giving them a glimpse of what life at your organization is really like. This is critical in ensuring that hire becomes a success.

Most of Maestro’s clients have high coaching cultures. Thus, during the interview process, there is coaching throughout. It can be anything from how a candidate asks a question, to how they present their screen, to their tonality, word choice, pace, typos, etc.

Why? Maestro’s clients have high standards, and they want their candidates to know what they are getting themselves into. There have been plenty of candidates who have opted out of working in that type of environment, but there have been many who have craved it and are now thriving.

If you want to learn more about how to coach during an interview process, just let me know!

What Made Me Laugh

I don’t have a dog, but I do enjoy a good dog video. This poor dog got called out for his overly friendly demeanor and was shocked by the doggy daycare’s assessment of him. Check it out here

This Week’s 40/20

For every 40 hours of work, I believe you should spend 20 (additional) hours mastering your craft. This is how I spent some of my 20 hours this week.

Recently I was speaking to one of my mentors whom I admire for how much they accomplish in any given day. They told me that one of their hacks that they were taught by their granddaughter was to always have something at the ready that makes them smile. That way, when they are having a rough day or are stressed or tired, they can quickly reset.? She suggested a quick video, and so it was with that advice that I set out to find something I could rely on to always make me smile. I present to you, "Baby discovering the world!"

Potpourri for 800

Potpourri (shoutout to Jeopardy!) is a category that covers a variety of topics.

When asked what type of money I want, there is only one answer: “Unnecessarily-cool-toaster money.” Sorry for the X handle, not mine, just someone who has an awesome toaster.

Quote for My Son

Every day, I leave my son a note with a quote. This was my favorite from this past week:

“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” – Leo Buscaglia