Most Sales Interviews Are Guesswork — And It’s Costing Companies Millions.
Most sales interviews are guesswork, and it’s costing companies millions.
Here’s the simple fix I use.
I’m often asked, “When I interview salespeople for a role, what should I do?”
My answer: ask every candidate the same questions.
It sounds simple, but consistency is the secret to fair and accurate interviews.
When every candidate answers the same set of behavioural questions, like:
“Tell me about a time you had to overcome rejection.”
You can compare answers side by side.
You’ll quickly see who gives vague, general stories (a warning sign) and who provides real, detailed examples (a sign of experience and self-awareness).
Consistency turns interviews from guesswork into data.
One of the new tools I’m offering alongside my sales coaching is Sales Recruitment, because no one seems to be effectively leading salesperson selection.
Right now, it’s mostly second-guessing, and it’s costing companies millions in lost time and bad hires.
“Mike comes with a wealth of knowledge & expertise that is unparalleled by anyone I’ve met before. He’s helped me improve my business development strategies and grow our business. I highly recommend working with him!”
PD
Mike
(Plus, whenever you are ready… here are three ways I can help you grow your business.)
1. Grab a Free copy of my book
It’s the sales roadmap to attracting prospects, building, and making more sales in your business without coming across as salesy- Click Here.
2. Join the Sales Mindset Inner Circle and connect with salespeople like you.
It’s our new Facebook community where salespeople learn to get more income, enhance their ability, and get access to exclusive content- Click Here
3. Join –“Sales Mindset Blueprint: (INVITATION ONLY) Elevating perspectives, boosting confidence, driving results and not coming across as salesy. Reply to SALESY, and I will get you the details.
What if you only needed to know 4 words to create an amazing presentation?
What if those 4 words could communicate to your audience 100%?
And with those 4 words would come a framework – a framework you could use every time you plan a presentation, a promotion, or an idea.
Before I give you free access to the framework and workbook, let’s cover the first word:
Why.
35% of your audience needs to know why they have to do something – why they have to listen to the information you’re about to share.
This section of your audience absorbs your information after you explain the reason behind a certain action – why they need to know this information and why they should use it.
If you notice that you lose your audience early in your presentation, it might be as simple as including a ‘why’ at the beginning.
PLUS: WHENEVER YOU’RE READY…Here are 4 ways I can help you make more sales in your business – whether your business is big or small.
1. Want to become a Sales Mindset Blueprint Member? You get access to an exclusive coaching session with me and full access to my sales programme every month. Get the deets here.
2. Try the new ‘7 Days to Sales Success’ framework. Make more sales in 7 days—the framework of everything you need to start making more sales in your business. The Sales Success Framework is based on a simple 7-day challenge. Click here to learn how to grow your business by making more sales.
3. Join our private Facebook group – The Sales Mindset Inner Circle. Get all the latest up-to-date sales ideas. Every week we do Facebook Live updates on all things sales. Tips, ideas, free coaching, and much more. Join me by clicking here
4. Could you work with me one-on-one? If you’re a small or large business owner or in professional services, you might have a few strategies, tactics and tools away from doubling your lead flow, revenue and impact. Please jump on a FREE 30-minute brainstorming call with me by clicking here.
In my previous post two weeks ago, I covered some personal messages from the book “Only Two Seats Left” www.onlytwoseatsleft.com
I have collected a few more for discussion.
Have a simple written business plan with objectives & goals.
As I have said, any goal-setting I do is always ongoing, but it follows an underlining theme. In the case of John Anderson at Contiki he sets his goals this way.
5 pieces of paper laid out in front of him
First-page overall long-term goal and objectives
Second- personal objectives
Third page- business objectives
Personal and business- for the following year
Income and expenditure for the next two years.
Don’t make your prices the cheapest – offer the best value.
That might be easy for me to say, but if you are in the business of just price only, then you become commoditised, something no one wants in this world of competition.
That tactic only gets you in a scrap with your competition; you are better to dominate that position by being unique and different.
If you are not in that businesses make a promise to yourself that you will walk away from a bad deal once a month. It’s liberating, and they may respect you more and ask you back.
Have fun Selling your stuff.
Mike
PLUS: WHENEVER YOU’RE READY…
Here are 4 ways I can help you make more sales in your business – whether your business is big or small.1. Want to become a Sales Mindset Blueprint Member? Every month you get access to an exclusive coaching session with me as well as full access to my sales programme. Get the deets here.
Try the new ‘7 Days to Sales Success’ framework. Make more sales in 7 days. The framework of everything you need to start making more sales in your business. The Sales Success Framework is based on a simple 7-day challenge. Click here to learn how to grow your business by making more sales.
Join our private Facebook group – The Sales Mindset Inner Circle. Get all the latest up-to-date sales ideas. Every week we do Facebook Live updates on all things sales. Tips, ideas, free coaching, and much more. Join me by clicking here.
Work with me one-on-one.If you’re a business owner, small or large or in professional services, you might have a few strategies, tactics and tools away from doubling your lead flow, revenue and impact. Jump on a FREE 15-minute brainstorming call with me by clicking here.
Over the festive holidays, I talked with a young salesperson selling hardware out of a super DIY store. His job is to be on the road most days, visiting building sites and converting builders, plumbers and such like into customers.
As we got talking, I asked him, “What is your biggest frustration with your job right now.”
Well, he said, “Writing up the orders” I laughed for a bit, but he didn’t. He was genuine, which was the most frustrating part of his job.
The truth is that productivity is very critical to your success. I explained that if he could not do it himself or found it hard, he better find someone who could help him.
Share the load
Productivity is so critical to your success. I wanted to make sure he saw this. I explained to him as far as I’m concerned, you MUST be doing this to increase your productivity, no matter how small or large your business is.
What is it?
Get someone else to do it… Outsource it.
I knew a top biller on a TV network that outsourced everything except his one-to-one, face-to-face appointments.
Here are 3 tips to get you thinking about how to share the load and focus on what you’re good at.
Spend more time on what you love about your sales job – Many salespeople do not like to do the paperwork. Get someone to do it for you. It’s that simple. Doing up contracts and such like can be taught to someone.
Stop wasting time on time-consuming tasks – Very similar to #1. If you dread doing something in your work, then that’s a signal to delegate it. I learnt that a little while ago, and it is so true if you’re about to do something you do not want to do, guess what happens? You procrastinate. So, therefore delegate it.
Have more free time to spend with your friends and family – We all want time with our friends and family, don’t we? Outsourcing the tasks that free up spare time potentially allows you to be happy and organised. Do you want that?
As the year unfolds and you think about your workload, maybe also think about what you dread everyday and delegate.
Whatever career you choose, getting help is always good.
Mike
P.S.
Everyone wants to make more sales in their business – want to know how to do it?Invest in yourself and enrol in the Sales Mindset Blueprint course; to ensure you’re setting yourself up for selling success.Sceptical? Find out more and see what people say about the course here –– https://www.thesalesmindsetblueprint.com/course.
PLUS: WHENEVER YOU’RE READY…
Here are 3 ways I can help you make more sales in your business – whether your business is big or small.
1. Try the new 7 Days to Sales Success Framework.
Make more sales in 7 days. The framework of everything you need to start making more sales in your business. The Sales Success Framework is based on a simple 7-day challenge. Click here to find out how you can grow your business by increasing sales.
2. Join our Private Facebook Group – The Salesmindset Inner Circle. Get all the latest up-to-date sales ideas.
Every week we do Facebook Live updates on all things sales. Tips, ideas, free coaching, and much more. Join me by clicking here.
3. Work with me One-on-One.
If you’re a small or large business owner or in professional services, you might have a few strategies, tactics and tools away from doubling your lead flow, revenue and impact. Jump on a FREE 15-minute Brainstorm call with me by clicking here.
Over the last two weeks, the theme of my blogs has been questioned. The ones we ask ourselves and the ones we ask others.
Many people struggle with sales because they think selling means using the tricks and techniques that slick salespeople use.
However, we make little progress until we figure out what the client is thinking.
This was certainly true in my business. Once we stopped selling our stuff upfront, things got a lot easier. We had to work hard to construct the right questions to ask, but the process flowed after that.
Keep ’Em Talking
If you want to discuss with someone about a service you offer or a product you sell, isn’t it better to ask questions that keep the exchange flowing? Wouldn’t you agree?
Questions change the progression of a sale. They move it forward to a conclusion. One of my mentors, Brian Duffy, used to drum it into me repeatedly. “If the client is talking, the sale is moving forward,” he’d say. “If you don’t shut up, it isn’t!”
How do you ask the right questions?
In my book, I explain the difference between “Can I help you” and “Open them up for a discussion” questions. Some people refer to them as closed-ended and open-ended questions. By analysing the distinction, you will see why you might lose clients.
“Can I Help You” or Closed-Ended Questions
Definition: If you can answer a question with only a “yes” or “no” response, you are answering a close-ended type of
question. Examples of close-ended questions are:
• Can I help you?
• Is that your final answer?
• Should I call her and sort things out?
• Can I help you with that?
• Would you like to go to the movies tonight?
• Is science your favourite subject?
• Are you interested?
• Are you happy with your purchase options?
• Are you just looking?
• Hi.
• Just let me know if you need anything.
Unfortunately, these questions often shut down the conversation. There are exceptions, but closed-ended questions don’t allow you to uncover your customer’s concerns.
In my next blog, I will talk about Open-ended questions designed to open up the conversation. and allow you to find out your client’s problems much faster.
Have a great week, and talk soon.
PLUS, whenever you are ready…here are ways I can help you grow YOUR business.
My favourite thing is to show you what’s working right now. It’s not as good as being a client, but it’s close.
2. Take advantage of a FREE 45-minute consultation
Need some sales support? Make an appointment, and let me take you through the past, present, and future templates.
3. Work with me one-on-one.
If you want to take your product or service from face-to-face to virtual selling, then I have a product that may be able to help you. You can get started for as little as $250 a month. If you’re interested, email mike@mikebrunel.com and put ‘Virtual Selling’ in the subject line…tell me a little about your business, and I’ll get you all the details.
