When I was a sales trainer, I used to ask my trainees,

Guys, what do buyers really think of salespeople?

They would initially come up with nice polite things like

Mark, we think sales people are very helpful.

They’re very useful and they’re often very informative.

Then after a while the dam would burst and the floodgates would open

as the real stuff came out…

Mark, we actually think salespeople are pushy.

They talk too much. They’re self-interested. They’re intrusive.

They’re boring. They’re money-grabbing. They are shiny suited spivvy wideboys!

They make us feel uncomfortable. They never listen,

they’re dodgy and the bottom line is I just don’t trust them.

We then used to go on to investigate

how ultimately sales people create their own problems.

For instance, if a salesperson comes across as a stereotypical salesperson

then she is already fighting against all of these negative perceptions.

So one of my rules, was the need to be fundamentally different.

After all if you come across as a salesperson,

you’re going to be treated like one,

and based on what people clearly think of sales people, that’s not good news!

So as sales professionals, there are many things we can do to differentiate

ourselves from the stereotypical perception.

For instance, instead of pushing for “Yes”,

you could perhaps try gently encouraging a “No”.

For example, John we’ve been discussing this a while,

and I kind of get the feeling that you’re not

really serious about moving forwards with this and making the change.

Perhaps, we should end it?

Used properly, this can be a real game-changer for for all sorts of reasons.

(If you want to know how to use it properly

I would suggest seeking out your local Sandler trainer).

So now that I am unashamedly a recruiter, I

find myself up against many of the same perceptions and prejudices again,

as recruiters don’t have a great reputation either!

This got me thinking about the problems

recruiters (like salespeople) ultimately create for themelves

and what I could do differently to eliminate the many challenges

and costs commonly faced by companies when hiring via an external agency.

The outcome is we now have a fundamentally different recruitment model

described by one senior HR leader as being “Unique, exactly what the market needs”

and what really tickled me “An ethical approach to recruitment”.

The risk of making a bad hire

is one of many challenges faced by companies when recruiting.

Hiring mistakes are a real and ever-present risk.

A 2015 study showed 46% of new hires fail within 18 months

and the resulting cost of a bad hire is eye-wateringly expensive

and invariably more than you think.

So if I was to say, we believe our new model can virtually eliminate bad hires.

Would that be sufficient for you to want to know more?

How about if I was to add we can effectively de-risk the hiring process for you

whilst giving you infinitely more confidence

about making sound hiring decisions

and we can even do this whilst putting a smile on the face of your Head of Finance!

Could that be sufficient grounds to speak with me?

If you’re a Commercial Leader and you’re open to investigate,

please contact me directly on LinkedIn,

or otherwise, email me on mark(@)snowdontalent.com

Thanks for listening!