Dejamos de vender nosotros: así reclutamos vendedores que realmente cierran ventas

Challenges in Delegating Sales

The Struggles of Business Owners

• Many entrepreneurs feel trapped by their businesses, unable to take vacations due to the fear of losing revenue.

• A common issue is that most people embellish their resumes, leading to hiring challenges.

• Business owners often struggle with delegating sales, despite having tried various strategies and hiring different types of salespeople.

The Importance of Recruitment

• Successful recruitment requires commitment and understanding; it is a science with a defined process.

• Ignoring recruitment steps can lead to poor hires, resulting in high turnover or dismissals.

Learning from Experience

• The speaker emphasizes that recruiting is not an innate skill but one that must be learned over time.

• Entrepreneurs should view themselves as coaches who need to assemble the best team rather than being the star player.

The Value of Delegation in Sales

Selling Businesses for Greater Value

• In the U.S., many entrepreneurs aim to build businesses they can sell, increasing their value by ensuring sales do not rely on them directly.

• A key evaluation question for business value is how much sales depend on the owner’s involvement.

Achieving Freedom Through Delegation

• Learning to delegate sales effectively allows business owners more freedom and potential for retirement without financial stress.

• There are various reasons why an entrepreneur might want to step back from their business while still generating income.

Overcoming Personal Barriers

Pursuing Dreams Beyond Business Constraints

• Many individuals hesitate to pursue personal dreams due to business obligations and financial dependencies on their companies.

Lessons Learned Over Time

• The speakers share insights gained through years of experience, emphasizing the importance of learning from past mistakes in recruitment and delegation.

Family Vacations and Work-Life Balance

Importance of Family Time

• The speaker reflects on family vacations taken once a year, highlighting the importance of spending quality time together.

• The father, a doctor, explains that taking vacations affects his income due to the nature of private practice in the 90s, where automation was lacking.

Balancing Work and Enjoyment

• The speaker emphasizes the need for businesses to support employees' lifestyle dreams, including rest and relaxation.

• Rest is noted as beneficial not only for personal well-being but also for strategic business advantages.

The Search Matrix Strategy

Defining Roles with Precision

• Introduction of the "Search Matrix," which helps define specific job profiles rather than vague descriptions when hiring.

• A common mistake among employers is failing to provide detailed information about the type of salesperson they are looking for.

Components of the Search Matrix

• The acronym SEARCH stands for:

• S: Skills - necessary abilities required for the role.

• E: Experience - prior work history relevant to the position.

• A: Attitudes - personality traits that fit company culture.

• R: Results - expected outcomes from performance.

• C: Cognitive Skills - mental capabilities needed for tasks.

• H: Habits - daily practices that contribute to success.

Utilizing Skills in Hiring

Specific Skill Requirements

• When hiring a client acquisition salesperson, essential skills include effective communication and confidence during calls.

• Candidates should be adept at networking and finding new leads rather than just managing existing accounts.

Real-world Application

• An anecdote illustrates challenges faced by job seekers who lack experience in cold calling despite being skilled in other areas like email outreach.

• The discussion highlights misconceptions about cold calling being outdated; it remains relevant even in tech companies seeking proactive salespeople.

Experience vs. Training

Evaluating Candidate Background

• Employers must decide whether to hire experienced candidates or train less experienced individuals who show potential.

Hiring Strategies for Sales Roles

Importance of Experience in Hiring

• The speaker discusses the choice between training a new hire or hiring someone with prior experience in cold calling and securing meetings, emphasizing the value of relevant experience.

• Reflecting on past hiring practices, the speaker notes that seeking interns often led to costly lessons, highlighting that some roles require immediate expertise rather than training.

• The financial implications of hiring inexperienced individuals are discussed; while salaries may be lower, costs associated with training and mistakes can accumulate significantly over time.

Evaluating Attitudes and Beliefs

• The necessity of assessing candidates' attitudes is emphasized, particularly their tolerance for rejection—a critical trait for successful prospecting.

• Candidates must possess resilience against rejection; those who struggle emotionally with "no" responses may take longer to develop into effective salespeople.

• The speaker warns against hiring individuals with deeply rooted negative beliefs about selling high-priced products, as these can hinder performance.

Motivation and Results

• It is clarified that motivating employees should not solely fall on management; creating a supportive environment is essential but not sufficient if the right people aren't hired.

• Clear expectations regarding measurable results from candidates are crucial. For instance, previous success in selling similar price points (e.g., $50,000 products) should be verified during recruitment.

Skills and Cognitive Abilities

• Candidates should demonstrate proven results relevant to the role they are applying for. This includes having successfully managed teams or sold comparable products in the past.

• The importance of cognitive skills is highlighted; modern businesses need quick learners who can adapt to technology and provide effective consulting solutions.

Verification of Claims

• A cautionary note about candidate honesty: many applicants may embellish their resumes. It's vital to verify claims through thorough background checks and references.

• Recognizing persuasive candidates who might not have malicious intent but still misrepresent their capabilities underscores the need for diligent evaluation processes.

Evaluating Habits and Goals in Recruitment

Importance of Daily Routines

• The speaker emphasizes the need to evaluate candidates' daily habits, particularly their scheduling practices during interviews.

• Candidates are asked to demonstrate their daily routines through their calendars, ensuring that what they claim aligns with their actual schedules.

Setting and Documenting Goals

• The necessity for candidates to have written goals is highlighted; ambitious salespeople should articulate their targets clearly.

• Only 3% of individuals maintain written goals, making those who do stand out as exceptional prospects for recruitment.

Characteristics of High Performers

• Individuals with a background in competitive sports often exhibit high-performance habits and organizational skills.

• The ideal candidate should balance work with personal life, demonstrating productivity while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Recruitment Matrix Overview

• A structured approach to defining the ideal candidate profile is discussed, focusing on skills, experience, attitudes, results, cognitive abilities, and habits.

• This process aids in clarifying recruitment needs and streamlining the hiring process by providing clear criteria for selection.

Aligning Company Values with Hiring Practices

Establishing Core Values

• The speaker reflects on strategic planning sessions aimed at identifying company values post-pandemic.

• Replicating successful employee traits becomes a guiding principle in defining these core values.

Communicating Values Effectively

• Employees can recite company values using the acronym "Zapayo Max," which encapsulates key principles like passion for excellence and maximum productivity.

• Emphasis is placed on practical applications of these values in workplace interactions, such as preferring face-to-face communication over digital methods.

Understanding Company Values and Recruitment Strategies

Importance of In-Person Communication

• Emphasizes the necessity of face-to-face communication to avoid misunderstandings that often occur through WhatsApp.

• Highlights the challenge of hiring technically skilled individuals who do not align with company values, leading to difficulties in management.

Core Values and Work-Life Balance

• Discusses a specific value called "balance of self," contrasting it with companies demanding excessive work hours at the expense of personal life.

• Advocates for employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance, including adequate sleep and leisure activities outside work.

Recruitment Process and Value Validation

• Describes how some candidates may prefer working long hours, but the company aims to heal workaholic tendencies instead.

• Mentions offering more holidays compared to other countries as part of promoting a balanced lifestyle.

Framework for Assessing Values in Candidates

• Suggests using specific questions during recruitment to validate alignment with company values rather than relying solely on technical qualifications.

• Encourages asking about conflict resolution approaches, preferring responses that reflect personal engagement over digital communication methods.

The Role of Personal Values in Hiring

• Stresses the importance of existing personal values aligning with company values; attempting to instill new values is often ineffective.

• Compares this process to trying to change a partner's fundamental traits—it's crucial to find candidates whose values already resonate with those of the organization.

Hiring Matrix for Candidate Evaluation

• Introduces a hiring matrix developed by Cody Sánchez, which includes five evaluative questions for assessing candidates' fit within the company culture.

• Each candidate is rated on a scale from one (poor fit) to five (excellent fit), focusing on their known relationships within the team as an important factor.

Hiring Strategies and Candidate Evaluation

Importance of Trust in Recommendations

• The speaker emphasizes the significance of trust when recommending candidates, indicating that a strong relationship is essential for vouching for someone.

• Candidates often come from environments where they share similar values, which can enhance their fit within a team.

Key Factors in Candidate Selection

• A candidate's past experience is crucial; they should have executed similar roles previously to ensure competence.

• Proven industry experience is highlighted as important, although candidates from different industries may still be considered if they excel in other areas.

Problem-Solving Capabilities

• Candidates should have demonstrable solutions to problems relevant to the role, showcasing their ability to handle daily challenges effectively.

• An example is given about a candidate who created an impressive self-evaluation Excel sheet during recruitment, demonstrating initiative and analytical skills.

Evaluating Experience and Scale

• The importance of having worked at various company sizes is discussed; diverse experiences can provide broader perspectives compared to specialized roles.

• Candidates with varied backgrounds may bring more adaptability than those with narrow experiences focused on one type of organization.

Structured Interview Process

• The speaker advocates for using a rubric to evaluate candidates consistently during interviews, ensuring all team members are aligned on assessment criteria.

• Emphasizing the need for clarity in job postings, candidates should feel like they're being sold on the opportunity rather than just informed about it.

Communicating Company Values

• It's vital to articulate both positive aspects and potential downsides of working at the company, allowing candidates to make informed decisions.

• Discussing cultural differences openly helps set clear expectations regarding work styles and communication norms between teams from different regions.

Cultural Sensitivity in Hiring

• The speaker notes that understanding cultural nuances is critical when hiring across borders; misinterpretations can arise without proper context.

• Clear communication about regional differences can prevent misunderstandings and foster better integration within diverse teams.

Understanding Personal and Organizational Dynamics

Self-Awareness in Communication

• The speaker acknowledges a personal flaw: the ability to change opinions rapidly, often contradicting previous statements with equal conviction.

• They emphasize transparency about this trait when communicating with others, particularly in a business context.

• The importance of candid conversations is highlighted; employees are encouraged to seek honest feedback from current team members.

Cultural Insights on Communication

• The speaker reflects on cultural tendencies within Latin communities, noting discomfort in discussing achievements or results directly.

• They criticize vague descriptions of responsibilities and accomplishments, advocating for specific data and statistics instead of flowery language.

Recruitment Strategies

Identifying Red Flags

• Emphasis is placed on recognizing superficial responses during interviews that may indicate misalignment with company values or unrealistic expectations.

• Candidates focusing excessively on negative aspects of past roles can signal potential issues for future performance.

Effective Assessment Techniques

• Two types of assessments are recommended: psychometric evaluations (like DISC profiles) and practical tests to gauge real-world skills.

• The speaker stresses that understanding personality traits through assessments should not dictate hiring decisions but rather inform them.

Practical Application in Hiring

Role Play and Real Work Trials

• Candidates should demonstrate their claimed skills through role-playing scenarios or actual work trials to validate their experience.

• Utilizing technology like AI role-play coaches can enhance the evaluation process by simulating real-life situations.

Long-Term Evaluation Practices

• Suggestion to implement trial periods where candidates work without a contract initially, allowing both parties to assess fit based on performance metrics.

Recruitment Strategies and Candidate Evaluation

Importance of Coachability in Candidates

• The discussion highlights the significance of coachability as a key trait for candidates, referencing Mark Robert's "Sales Acceleration Formula." Role-playing exercises are used to assess how candidates respond to negative feedback.

Evaluating Attitude and Adaptability

• Candidates' reactions during role-play scenarios reveal their attitude towards feedback. A positive response indicates readiness to learn, while defensiveness suggests potential issues in adaptability.

Practical Assessment Techniques

• The speaker emphasizes conducting multiple role plays during the hiring process, including specific scenarios like a 30-second pitch and pain funnel discussions. Feedback is provided not just negatively but constructively to identify areas for improvement.

Scoring System for Recruitment

• A three-part scoring system is proposed: 33% based on assessments, 33% on previous results, and 33% on alignment with company values and personal goals. This holistic approach helps gauge candidate suitability effectively.

Long-term Relationship Building in Hiring

• Steve Jobs' philosophy on recruiting top talent stresses the importance of building relationships over time (up to two years). This strategy ensures that leaders can identify and attract other high-performing individuals.

Onboarding Plan for New Hires

• Establishing a clear onboarding plan for the first 90 days is crucial. It sets expectations for new hires regarding milestones and performance indicators while allowing employers to monitor progress closely.

Structure of the Onboarding Process

• The onboarding plan should resemble a syllabus, detailing weekly objectives, required training materials, interviews, and practice sessions. This structured approach aids both employee clarity and employer oversight.

Focus on Behavior Over Immediate Results

• Emphasizing behavior rather than immediate sales results aligns with Sandler's principles. New hires should be given time to adjust before expecting significant outcomes, especially in complex sales environments like ERP or consulting services.

Hiring Practices in Sales

Understanding Candidate Evaluation

• The speaker discusses the challenge of evaluating candidates for industrial tank design roles, emphasizing the importance of understanding the typical production timeline within their company (6 months to a year).

• In consultative sales with long cycles, results may not be immediate; however, adherence to a behavioral plan is crucial. Candidates must commit to specific actions like watching videos and making calls.

• The speaker highlights that by comparing actual candidate behavior against their proposed plans, one can quickly assess potential high performers within 90 days.

Importance of Commitment and Standards

• A past experience is shared where a candidate failed to submit a required video due to laziness. This reflects the need for strict standards in hiring processes.

• The analogy of shopping while hungry illustrates the dangers of rushing into hiring decisions. Urgency can lead to skipping essential steps and compromising on company values.

Consequences of Poor Hiring Decisions

• Accepting candidates who do not meet established criteria can lead to significant issues, including strained relationships and financial losses due to ineffective hires.

• The speaker warns against becoming overly involved with underperforming hires, which can detract from productivity and lead to frustration.

Key Hiring Practices

• Four essential hiring practices are outlined:

• Use a search matrix.

• Align candidates with company values.

• Implement psychometric assessments alongside practical tests.

• Develop a comprehensive approach for recruitment processes.

These practices are deemed critical for effective hiring across all areas but particularly emphasized in sales roles.