If talent is the most important "asset" your company has and sales drives the future of your company, doesn't it make sense to have the CEO involved in the sales selection process?
I absolutely think so.
Right now, you might be saying, "Chris, you are absolutely correct if you are a small company."
How small is small? $250m in annual sales? $500m? $1b?
Some of the smartest and strongest companies I have been exposed to have the CEO involved at least at the end stages of the sales talent hiring / selection process.
You should as well.
Here are four important reasons why.
- To shape the mindset of the sales team - hiring the best possible sales
- Talent is critical to the future of the company.
- To shape the mindset of the candidates - this company means business - we carefully select our sales talent.
- To shape the mindset of the new sales hires - this company selects only the best and the CEO is actively involved.
- To ensure that the hard questions are being asked from a real gut sense. The CEO sees the results of bad sales hires decisions every day through the bottom line.
A CEO never wastes time interviewing sales candidates who do not fit the job. A CEO should never interview a sales candidate who does not fit the proper sales Job Benchmark. A CEO's time is valuable and the future of the company is not negotiable.
No smart CEO would ever interview a sales candidate who has not passed a sales pre-employment personality profile assessment as well as traditional screening.
