The two candidates have the exact same resume. They have the same number of years of experience. They went to the same school. They were born with in a year of each other, on the same day. They are both perfect fits for the position. So, who do you hire? Who is the better fit? That my friend depends on what makes them tick. You see, resumes only give us visibility into what a candidate has done. Like a stock prospectus, resumes provide us with a measurable understanding of past performance. And like the stock prospectus, resumes should come with the disclaimer; “Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.” Finding talent or resumes that suggest a candidate can get the job done is a lot easier than identifying the actual talent and capabilities of winning candidates. To get to the heart of success you have to find out what makes the candidate tick. You have to identify what motivates them, how they think, and what’s behind their approach to the job. There are a lot of factors that can lead to success that has nothing to do with the candidate. They could have been part of a fast growing company that had no competition. They could have had a favorable territory. The company could have been excellent at providing quality, buyer ready leads. Their boss could have played favorites. The space could have been experiencing double digit growth. Their company could have given out low quotas. There are a myriad of reasons why a sales person could have been successful that had little to do with their talent or skills. Getting to “why” the candidate was successful will provide a lot more insight than the resume. Dig deep, find out what makes the candidate tick. Find out what motivates them. Learn “how” they do their job. Uncover what it is they prioritize during execution. Look to uncover their philosophy on selling. Ask them point blank; “What would you suggest has the key to your success? Their answer should be measurable, specific, and logical. “I work hard.” Is NOT a good answer. Candidates can have very similar resumes, but I assure you they can’t and won’t have similar approaches. Everyone has a different ticker. Find out each candidates ticker and the differentiation will be clear.
You Want to Know What Makes Them Tick!
