…To continue from last week’s article. If you are interested…Be honest with yourself about whether you are really interested in the applicant.

If so continue to sell him or her on the company and the job. Summarize the selling points of the job, such as growth, advancement, salary, and freedom to innovate. These selling points should be presented only after you clearly determine what the candidate wants from an organization based on their answers to your questions.

With the best candidates, look them squarely in the eye and tell them you are impressed by their qualifications, and will give them full consideration. BUT make sure you do not play all of your cards. Leave some key information unsaid, watch how they handle the post interview communication and give them a chance to close you on the opportunity.

Skill and aptitude assessments

Empirically measuring a candidate’s skills, how they may fit in your organization and potential future performance is a complex process. Effective interviewing provides a critical piece of the puzzle. But getting an objective look at your prospective hire can be augmented by the use of a variety of tools developed to evaluate skills, aptitude and behavioral styles.

These tools will give you insight into:

Specific selling skills (or the lack thereof)
Aptitude for the behaviors critical to success in sales
What motivates the individual
Their communication skills (or the lack thereof)
This information will help you corroborate (or contradict) your findings from the interview process and from reference checking. With that information you will be better prepared to make as good a hiring decision as possible and just as importantly provide you with a road map on how best to manage this individual after the hire. This information will provide the foundation for your (and their) sales planning process. These tools are available in a wide range of investment, depth and accuracy.