Sales Truths & Myths in 2024

Over the past few months, I’ve heard a lot of opinions on hiring from sales leaders, founders, and talent teams. Some are sharp insights grounded in reality, while others are little more than comforting myths.

My goal is to cut through the noise and provide a no-nonsense view on what’s realistic in today’s hiring landscape.

1. "Former college athletes are overrated."

There’s no correlation between athletic performance and sales success. The “discipline” argument is a stretch, and relying on stereotypes to hire is a lazy way to avoid real evaluation. Sales takes adaptability, resilience, and creativity—not just competitiveness.

2. "Gen Z candidates don’t want to come back to the office, and that’s okay."

Letting them self-select out may feel like a win, but it’s not that simple. Dismissing an entire generation of talent because they value flexibility isn’t a strategy—it’s stubbornness. Top talent thrives in remote, hybrid, or in-office settings when the culture and role align.

3. "SDRs coast after hitting quota."

If they’re coasting, it’s a leadership issue. Sales leaders need to create cultures where exceeding quota is rewarded and expected, not optional. Incentives alone don’t fix this—strong leadership does.

4. "Salespeople have gotten soft; we need hunters, not farmers."

The hunter/farmer debate misses the point. The problem isn’t that salespeople have “gotten soft”—it’s that some leaders don’t build teams with the right mix of skills. If you want hunters, train them.

5."Salespeople blame marketing too much for their numbers."

This excuse is as old as time—and just as irrelevant. Good salespeople take ownership, regardless of marketing’s performance. But don’t ignore the importance of alignment; collaboration with marketing can elevate results.

6. "We’re not losing top talent over $10-$20K."

Exactly. The best hires look beyond minor compensation differences. If a $20K gap is a deal-breaker, they’re not the needle-mover you thought they were.

7. "Zero flexibility on compensation; we’ll wait."

Flexibility wins talent in competitive markets. Rigid compensation structures may feel disciplined but often lead to unnecessary delays—or worse, losing great candidates to more agile competitors.

8. "Titles are irrelevant; use them as a carrot."

This works up to a point. Misaligned titles may attract candidates initially but create retention issues later. Credibility matters—don’t dangle titles if they don’t match the role.

9. "AI SDR tools aren’t worth the risk yet."

Some even say AI SDRs are the modern oil snake salesmen. True for many. AI tools are promising, but high-touch sales processes often demand human nuance. If the deal size and complexity warrant it, stick with what’s proven.

10. "Every AE needs to be full cycle."

Couldn't be more wrong. Full-cycle AEs sound great in theory but burn out fast in practice. If you’re scaling, specialization is key. Forcing full-cycle roles is a sign of leadership stretching its team too thin.

11. "We’re only considering candidates with tenure."

Experience matters—but be careful. Tenure is only valuable if the candidate can demonstrate meaningful growth and adaptability during that time.

12. "Too much tenure at one company is a red flag."

Wrong. Longevity often signals loyalty and resilience. If you’re rejecting candidates because they stayed with one company too long, you’re likely passing on top-tier talent.

13. "References weigh as much as interviews."

References can offer valuable insight, but they’re often cherry-picked. Overweighting them risks ignoring the candidate’s direct performance and potential fit.

14. "Assignments show engagement."

This is fair—assignments filter out those who aren’t serious. Just keep the process reasonable; overly demanding tasks will scare off the best candidates.

15. "Recruiting firms are too slow."

Depends. Outsourcing hiring means outsourcing speed and control, so you gotta find the right partner. If your team can handle hiring in-house in a timely matter, go for it. If your in-house team is struggling, an oursourcing partner like SaleStrategy might find candidates faster, give you a better grip.

16. "Remote work requires client interaction."

This depends entirely on your business. For high-touch sales, in-person meetings create a competitive advantage. But don’t assume remote work diminishes sales intensity; it’s about execution, not location.

17. "Remote work can’t create sales intensity."

Nonsense. Intensity comes from culture and leadership, not geography. Many fully remote teams outperform their in-office peers because they’re managed with clarity and purpose.

18. "Slow candidate replies signal rejection."

Depends. Responsiveness during hiring is a leading indicator of how they’ll handle client interactions if they are unemployed, if they are employed it's a different story.

19. "If they can’t sell themselves, they can’t sell our product."

True, to an extent. But don’t overvalue showmanship. Look for substance behind the pitch. The best salespeople close deals by understanding their customers, not just dazzling them.

20. "Avoid hiring from companies with great products."

Depends. Selling an “easy” product doesn’t prove skill, but doesn't negate it either. You can look for candidates who succeeded in tough markets or with complex solutions if what you're looking for is resilience, if you're looking to sell in other tough markets.

21. "Finding people who care is harder than finding skills."

Agreed to a degree. You can teach skills, but you can’t teach hunger or commitment. The toughest hires to find are the ones who genuinely care about winning.

If that offends anyone, so be it.