Advice From An MSP: What To Look For In A Prospective Sales Rep
In addition to his insights in the Business Solutions article, “Saved By Managed Services,” Matthew Adkins, president of VanGuard Technologies, offers advice for hiring a sales rep for a managed services provider (MSP).
Q: What’s the first thing to determine when interviewing a candidate for a sales position?
Adkins: The first thing I would suggest is to find out what the candidate really wants to do. Many times someone will apply for an IT sales position because they like tinkering with technology and want to get in the door somewhere they can be around computers.
You can determine this with some good interview questions or a DISC personality profile assessment. I think any new employee should take a DISC assessment — it helps to validate that they are a fit for the position and for the company.
It’s important to ask the following questions:
- WHY sales?
- WHY IT sales?
- WHY my company?
Q: What are other things to consider as you interview a potential sales rep?
Adkins: I can’t stress enough that you have to make sure any new hire is not only on the bus (your company), but in the right seat (position). I once hired someone for NOC (network operations center), and they turned out to be a great field engineer. I hired someone for sales, and they turned out to be a much better project manager.
Also, I toss out any application that doesn’t follow my posting rules. For example, if I ask for a cover letter and resume to be emailed to me, and they skip the cover letter or send it in the mail or call the office, I know they aren’t going to follow my sales process.
You also want to find out why they are applying: Good IT salespeople should be making a nice commission income at their previous employer — they should have a reason that makes sense for leaving. If their previous firm laid off some sales staff, then why did this person leave? As a business owner, it’s up to you to decide if your strategy (and budget) includes hiring only top sellers, mid-level sellers, or starters who you can mold easier to your ways. Each option has positives and negatives.
Q: How important are technical skills when you evaluate a prospective sales rep?
Adkins: I’m not looking for tech skills or knowledge — I am looking for someone who has the skills to sell the VanGuard way — with honesty, integrity, and a true sense of working for the long-term benefit of the client.
Every company has a different culture and “way,” but you need to make sure that person is compatible with that “way.” I can train someone with the tech skills and even the sales and marketing stuff they need (plenty of consultants catering to our market like Robin Robins, Gary Pica, etc.), but I can’t train someone to be a go-getter, a self-starter, and to have passion and enthusiasm.
In my first real IT job working for a Fortune 500 healthcare company, a manager took a chance on me because of my work ethic and willingness to learn. I pay that forward by taking a chance on people I see like that. I can teach the “VanGuard Way,” but if you aren’t willing to work hard in an honest and ethical way there is no place for you here.
I also am a big believer in personal interactions — new hires have to get through me, my staff, and a dinner where they are invited to bring their family or significant other for dinner with me and my wife. I strongly believe that how someone treats their family is an indication of they treat others when under stress.
Q: What other advice can you offer an MSP interviewing prospective sales reps?
Adkins: There’s the standard interview stuff:
- Read up on federal and state laws about the interviewing process and what questions you can and cannot ask (I tool an HR class for business owners at a local college).
- Give candidates three minutes to prepare a sales pitch for some product you sell or give them your sales PowerPoint to present cold to your staff.
- Ask them hard, tough questions to see how they handle them.
- Check to see if candidates did their homework — if they didn’t memorize your website, Facebook page, and Twitter before they came in (bonus points for knowing I was on the cover of Business Solutions magazine, and I’m a server at my church) then they probably won’t do it for a prospect.
- I don’t hire salespeople on commission only, and I don’t hire them on a huge base/small commission. Which reminds me — anyone hiring a salesperson should learn about compensation plans and have one figured out before beginning any interviews. If you don’t have a sales compensation plan inked out you are not ready to hire — trust me on this.
- I recommend every organization leader read the book EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey before hiring anyone.
So, in short, I would suggest that anyone looking to hire a salesperson look for someone who has a proven history, is honest, ethical, dependable, and a hard worker. They need to be able to follow my process, whether it’s 17 steps or 51 steps. I would use something like DISC to make sure they are going to be compatible with my staff. And, I would keep my eye out for passionate, enthusiastic, hardworking “new” guys who just need a chance to become rock stars.