Love Stinks

Back in the early 80’s there was a great rock and roll song entitled – “Love Stinks” by the J. Giles Band. The chorus repeats over and over at the end – “Love stinks… yea, yea! Love stinks … yea, yea!” The song has become an anthem for the jaded and heartbroken. Many a night after a painful breakup, I would go out with my friends who would encourage me to “Forget about her,” and “Just get on with your life!” But love can be painful, because you pay a price – time, energy and effort go into a relationship. Now it’s gone.

Love stinks.

Many Sales Mangers sing the same song. As a Sales Leader in you organization you’ve experienced that unique situation of needing a salesperson in a particular territory. You desperately weed through piles of resumes, searching for that golden child that will be all that you hope – the perfect blend of high energy, strong prospecting and closing skills; and all the while selling at premium margins. You also desire a low maintenance relationship. That’s a salesperson you could fall in love with. But we all know that appearances can be deceiving. One minute you’re falling head over heels for someone and the next month you’re both fighting to get your gifts back. The Salesperson/Sales Manager relationship is quite the same.

OK, you find a candidate, and then it happens – you decide this is the one. Don’t laugh, but you really do fall in love. You fall in love with their warm, charismatic personality, their engaging smile and poised, direct demeanor. Everything about them is just what you want. You can see the dollar signs in each other’s eyes as you talk affectionately about the exciting future that lies ahead for the two of you.
You introduce your new love to the rest of your harem (uh, sales team) at the next sales meeting. Quietly you hear the other salespeople whispering quietly as you proudly introduce them to their next superstar player. (They've seen you this giddy before – remember John who eventually lost your biggest prospect late last year?) They all smile and welcome your new “flavor of the month” into the company. And then they wait.

6 months later…

Your love has disappeared and been replaced by despair. Your new golden child has completed the company sales training program with flying colors, trained with your technical staff and has even gone on numerous sales calls with you and other top players. In the last six months, your new love has produced nothing but an endless supply of excuses – most of which you’ve heard before and even a few new one’s. What happened? Where are your sales? Why is this superstar salesperson not performing? Where’s the euphoria? Where’s the love?

Let me guess – you decided to hire him/her in the interview, held your breath during the background and reference check hoping it was going to turn up favorable. The behavior and skills assessments were an afterthought (just a confirmation of what you already knew). And you threw out all of the other resumes because you’d found the one. I would love to be in the tattoo removal business. How many Hollywood movie stars get the names of their current fling engraved on their backside, only to have it removed within 18 months. You know it’s going to happen – just how quickly? I’d make a fortune.

Here are some tips:

Multiple interviews with your candidate. Many times they will tell you different things on different appointments. Their guard is up early on and they’re wearing their façade. After a few visits, they begin to drop their guard and you begin to see the “real” candidate. That’s the person you’re going to hire.

Take your time. If you’re desperate for a salesperson in a territory, desperation can cloud you judgment. Take your time and process them with patience. Thoroughly review their background, references, education and work history.

Hire good salespeople when you don’t need them. If you find a real pro, grab them up. Don’t let them get away. Crunch some numbers in another area or cut back on some expenses if you have to, but get them on board. You will need them sooner or later. Probably sooner.

My plea to you is this: Don’t fall in love during the hiring process. I know that I probably sound like your parents here, but “Wait!” Wait until you’ve gathered all of the information objectively from as many sources possible. Remember that the salesperson you hire is responsible for generating the revenue that keeps the other people in your company employed and the lights on. This is serious. Don’t let your emotions get away from you. Do your homework then proceed with optimistic caution. I understand how you feel. I’ve got a number of clients who call me and laughingly say that they don’t want me to see their candidates. Why – because they’re in love with them and I might say no. But those who do – usually wind up crying on my shoulder. Then I have to get out the tattoo removal gun. And it’s painful.

Do your best to prevent a breakup. Be cautious, be patient and do your homework. Otherwise, it may come back to haunt you. After all…Love stinks.

About the Author

Barrett Riddleberger is an internationally recognized leader in the practice of sales assessment, sales training, sales recruitment and retention. His new book, “Blueprint of a Sales Champion,” details how organizations can find, train and retain top performing salespeople even in a highly competitive market. An accomplished lecturer, Riddleberger is also highly in demand as a business development and motivational speaker for organizations seeking to inspire their sales force. For more info go to www.ResolutionSystemsInc.com or www.BlueprintOfASalesChampion.com or call 336.665.0506