Recruiting salespeople is a perilous path, one that has littered the printing industry with stories of failure. If done properly however, it can result in bringing someone on board who generates many millions over the years and becomes a great asset to the business.
The benefits of having been doing this for 33 years is that we have seen all examples of what results in success, and what makes failure. What we can share, is that the majority of failures stem from an MD asking a salesperson “what turnover can you bring?”. The more optimistic that person is towards turnover, the more likely the appointment will not be a success.
One example of which we were not involved in, but know of in the industry, was with a B1 printer in West England. The company asked, “what turnover can you bring?” and the person was very confident of doing £500,000 in the first year. This appointment became a complete failure, with the candidate only bringing in £20,000 over six months.
We see the direct correlation between asking that question and the success of a placement time and time again. If anyone responds in a positive manner, the person is most likely trying to secure a new job before moving on to the next one when they are found out. Let’s face it, with restrictive covenants sometimes lasting 6 months, contracts tied up for a certain amount of time, plus if it’s a really good salesperson, surely they have sold the benefits of their previous company to that particular client?
There are of course exceptions. If someone has been working for a company that has gone into administration, there lies the greatest opportunity to bring turnover, and yes, over the years we have placed people who have been in this situation. One recent example is of a £6.5 million turnover company that unfortunately went under. We placed the directors with one of our clients, and they brought a significant amount of business over.
Yes, candidates can of course bring contacts across, but the message we want to get over here is that the more confident someone is of bringing turnover, the more likely they are saying what you want to hear to get the job. We would go as far as to say that if someone in an interview guaranteed turnover, and if they did in fact work for a company that is still active, you are only going to be let down from there.
In contrast, one of our clients was hiring a salesperson, and did actually ask ‘what turnover can you bring?’ This salesperson was doing £3.8 million with his current company, but he replied “I have got absolutely no guarantee of bringing turnover, but what I can assure you of is my expertise and proven track record. This is what I have been doing for many years, if I do join your company, there is a really good chance I will do well.” He is still with this company 15 years later, and in his first year did £3.2 million.
The contrast could not be greater between the people who do not provide an answer to this question, to the people who do.
What is peculiar is that it never seems to happen in any other industry, just a phenomenon that exists in the printing industry. Several of our consultants have friends in other sectors, and it is unheard of. You don’t hear of an FMCG manufacturer, pharmaceutical company, engineering firm and so forth looking for a sales rep and asking what turnover they can bring!
Looking back over the years, the most the successful appointments stem from the interviewer focussing on the person’s abilities, skills and track record. They have asked for examples of new accounts that person has brought on board, the value, how they acquired the business, and how they maintained it.
The guide to future performance is past behaviour!!