How to hire rockstar sales reps

Last week I spoke with a founder at a Series A startup and a Head of Sales at a for Series B startup about this very topic. Much of each discussion revolved around key strategies and processes for successful hiring and onboarding successfully, which is something so many of us struggle with on a regular basis. It goes without saying that I've made maaaaaany mis-hires in my career, but that comes with the territory in volume and I've also made some great hires over my career. Happily, I shared the following formula in our discussion and I'm doing the same here in hopes this helps others facing the same challenges.

Firstly, it's important to know the ideal profile for your AEs and SDRs (i.e. background, work experience, success, etc...). Next, you've got to map out your interview process (i.e. how many stages, of what period of time, who's involved internally, what your budget bands are, and of course who has the final decision). Spoiler alert - if it's not the hiring manager, somethings wrong. Lastly, what qualifications/skills/character you're looking to validate throughout the interview process. This is where we spent most of our time last week.

My first recommendation is to familiarise yourself and your team with the STAR interviewing method if you've not already. You're going to ask your subject to answer your questions in the following format (without spelling it out for them):

I suspect you'll find this effectively eliminates obscurity and clearly separates rockstar prospects, from the field.

OK, onward. I primarily look for 3 key qualifications when interviewing AEs: aptitude, attitude, and impact. Let's dive in.

Aptitude

• If my business has a mid market GTM, then it's critical every AE in consideration has experience selling to this segment specifically. Here I'm looking to understand their knowledge of this sales cycle and to identify how they approach their sales process, from start to finish.
• You can dig pretty deep here, asking specific questions about how they plan their time, identify which accounts to prioritise, discovery process, objection handling, how they've won their largest deals and lost their largest opportunities, and how they navigate their prospects buying process.
• Pro tip, ask for company and client names, rough dates, and really specific details. Will help to smoke out the B.S.

Attitude

• Let's be honest, it's much easier to teach skills than character. The latter is largely already formed, so it's critically to hire reps who understand the power of positivity, who are natural hunters and grinders, competitors, and operate with both urgency and integrity. Trust me, this is probably the hardest characteristic to interview for.
• I typically ask behavioural questions about how they've managed internal/external conflict, what they did immediately after losing their largest clients or opportunities, and examples of going "above and beyond" the call of duty. Look to see if they take all the credit for key wins, or if they acknowledge teammates and colleagues who supported them in their most meaningful victories. Ask about their best/worst managers, and how they navigated those relationships. How they worked with colleagues to collaborate on workflows, processes, or even deals. Be specific with open ended questions and dive into details, the truth will reveal itself.
• In my opinion, this is where internal peers and cross functional interviews come in handy. We want to take notice of the kinds of questions they ask, how punctual they are, and how they follow up after each call.
• References and background checks are critical. I suggest to request to speak to former managers, peers, and clients. Be prepared with pointed questions about the subjects character, make it easy for the reference to offer real insight and examples. Asking if they'd hire them again will always open a door to meaningful input.

Impact

• We're obviously looking for performers, but they're not always put in position to succeed. So understanding how the prospect has been compensated is critical. Comp always dictates behaviour. Aside from this, I always want to investigate the details which drive their failure or success.
• For example... If your prospect can't tell you their exact target and attainment % for each of the last 4 quarters - red flag. If they can't tell you where they stacked up competitively vs their peers - red flag. If they can't hit you with with a clean elevator pitch or role play on the spot (for their product, not yours) - red flag. If they can't describe their discovery or closing process clearly - red flag.
• Here we're looking to get a real view of the drives to the reps REPEATED success. There should be a formula which reveals itself throughout the conversation and discussions.

Of course much of this can change depending on the experience and level of specialisation your seeking, but this should be applicable to most of us.

I hope this helps, and welcome any added input or perspective for the benefit of the greater good. Please chime in with any thoughts.

Thanks, and as always... happy hunting!