The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Simple life lesson: One of the best ways to find exactly what you need is to know exactly what you’re looking for.

We regularly work with hiring managers and recruiters to clearly define the role they are working to fill so they know exactly what they need for superstar performance. This morning I received an email from a sales manager asking which talents he should look for to hire a strong sales hunter. Great question! So good, in fact, I thought I’d share my response with you.

In this video, Kim Alexandre, VP/Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy, shares tips to get more engagement and attract great candidates from your job postings on social media. 

Most sales organizations are dealing with some hidden constraints that negatively impact revenue and cash. Here’s a list of the three most common, plus solutions to eliminate them.

This is the fourth and final post in a four-part series on how managers can set new hires up for success. You can click to view the previous posts on providing detailed feedback, building relationships that will lead to stronger sales performance and maximizing strengths and working around weaknesses. 

Ongoing coaching and strength development are key factors in retaining people long-term, yet statistics show employees often feel as though they don’t have a specific development plan. According to a Saba survey, 60% of leaders believe they provide employees with a clear career path, but only 36% of employees agree. The very best managers spend time coaching their people and have an individualized development plan for each person. 

This is the third post in a four-part series on how managers can set new hires up for success. You can click to view the previous posts on building relationships that will lead to stronger sales performance and maximizing strengths and working around weaknesses.

Giving your new hire detailed feedback on their talents is one of the best ways to set them up for success. This conversation can be very meaningful and will arm them with specific information about their potential and how they can maximize their strengths in their new role.

This is the second post in a four-part series on how managers can set new hires up for success. You can view the previous post on maximizing strengths and working around weaknesses here. 

The very best managers I work with understand the importance of growing solid, working relationships with their people, and they start working on those relationships even before their new hire’s first day on the job. Not all managers take this approach - many people feel their boss does not care about their success. According to a recent Monster poll, 72% of respondents said they do not feel like their manager or supervisor is interested in their job growth. Yet, caring about people and developing good working relationships with direct reports, is one of the best ways to boost sales performance.  

This is the first post in a four-part series on how managers can set new hires up for success.

Onboarding new employees the right way is crucial in retaining them long-term.

According to an Aberdeen Group study, 86 percent of respondents felt that a new hire’s decision to stay with a company long-term is made within the first six months of employment. So you want to ensure you provide a challenging, but rewarding, experience that first six months and get it right immediately out of the gate! There are a few things you can do before and after your new hire’s first day to set them up for success and retain them.

SCENARIO:

Your top-performing, seasoned seller just turned in their notice. You are prepared because you were diligent and have a full talent bank with well-qualified candidates. But even with all of this prep, you realize how overwhelming the task of examining the candidates in your talent bank can be.

Where do you start? The job title is the same, but the challenge is different each time.