Getting the right salespeople on the bus
29th November 2016 | Bob Apollo
Jim Collins’ Good to Great has been the inspiration for many CEOs who are determined to elevate their companies from run-of-the-mill to lasting greatness. There are many lessons to be learned from the book but one of the most significant is the idea that, before organisations can stand a chance of realising their potential, they must get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and get the right people in the right seats.
This principle holds true for every department, but the concept has particular relevance for companies seeking to build a sales organisation that is capable of significant, scalable growth whilst delivering reliable revenue performance every quarter along the way.
Implication of poor hiring decisions
Making bad hires or failing to address personnel issues has a particular impact on the sales function. In organisations with complex or lengthy sales cycles the knock-on impact of bad recruiting or acceptance of poor performance can resonate for multiple quarters – and cause sales leaders to lose their jobs. Markets and buyer expectations are evolving so fast that we cannot rely on experience as the primary factor in recruitment decisions. Attitude, aptitude, adaptability, curiosity, cultural fit and the capacity for continuous learning have become far more effective predictors of long-term sales success.
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