Can you sell?

Successful sales people in every industry make good money. Good money attracts candidates to sales. I've had the good fortune to interview many dozens of candidates. In each interview, I am trying to determine if the candidate can sell.

While this may border on the obvious, there really isn't any reason to continue with an interview about the specific type of selling a candidate would have to perform at the job for which I am interviewing if, in fact, they simply can't sell.

A question that I will often ask is: "What did you sell when you were a kid?"

The questionable candidate will repeat the question in an effort to buy time.

"What did I sell when I was a kid."

I wait.

They stare off into the distance and then thoughtfully reply,

"I sold Girl Scout cookies." Or, "I had a lemonade stand during the Summer."

Now, there is nothing wrong with having sold Girl Scout cookies or operating a lemonade stand. But, let's be honest. Most girls do not actually "sell" their own cookies. Parents take the order form to work and tape it to their doors and co-workers sign up for what they want. Some parents drive their kids around and stop at the neighbors they know. Same with lemonade stands. Isn't it usually the case that parents are trying to find something their bored kids can do for a couple hours on those long Summer days? Mom finds the card table and folding chairs, makes up a big batch of lemonade. The kids then stand by the street waving at neighbors. Some, especially those who remember that this was one of the nice neighbors that bought cookies from their scout, stop by for what amounts to a donation.

When I ask the question of a strong candidate, a broad smile crosses her face and she says,

"When I was about six I took my Mom's kitchen broom and went door-to-door offering to sweep porches for a quarter."

Or,

"When I was in junior high, I set up a type of carnival in the front yard. Then, I made up a bunch of flyers and put them on every mailbox in the neighborhood. The kids from ten blocks away came to check out the games."

Or,

"When I was ten, I remember that we had lots of extra tomatoes from our garden. I mean hundreds that we couldn't use. So, I put them in my Dad's wheelbarrow and set up on a busy corner selling tomatoes for a nickel each."

Each of these examples have a few characteristics that are important indicators the person sitting in front of me is a seller. Those are:

1) The example occurs at an early age. Selling involves innate talent. While the skills required to sell enterprise software are not developed in any other way than actually working for a company that sells this product, the ability to sell and the drive to convince others to your point of view is inherent. Every strong seller that I have ever met has always been selling.

2) The sales activity was initiated and directed by the candidate. Oh, the Mom may have said it was okay to take the kitchen broom or the Dad took the wheelbarrow off the garage wall. But, it was the child who thought of the idea and took action to make it happen.

3) The money wasn't the most important factor. Most candidates will have no memory of how much money they made on any particular venture despite remembering most of the other details. While there is nothing wrong with money being a motivator for a child to sell stuff, most of the time the examples being sited were done for a love of selling and not for money.

What to make of the candidate who doesn't have an example of selling early in life? In my mind, this candidate starts as a "B". While he may have lots of selling skills and experiences, he is likely to be a contributor to the sales department and not the leader. Some may think that's okay. After all, everyone can't be the best and companies need "B" players.

These are the type of sales managers against whom I love to compete. I'll bring my "A" players and you bring your "B" players and let's get it on.