J Patrick + Associates Blog

People Who Don’t Sell Don’t Sell for Me

Posted by Elissa Jane Mastel on Fri, Apr 15, 2011 @ 11:27 AM

Mark MatejikBy Mark F. Matejik, Guest Blogger

“People who don’t sell don’t sell for me.”  I got this great concept from my friend Dan Sullivan one day as we talked on the phone.  Dan is one of the best recruiters I know and got me into TANDBERG in 2007 which was one of my best trainer jobs for which I am eternally grateful.  


So I am giving him and you a gift today my sales executive and sales management friends, to boost your insight and awareness about how we as top people go about finding and hiring top sales talent who will sell!

There are four keys of selling excellence that you’ll find in those who sell.  And oh by the way, they form the acronym SELL. Find them to please your executives, board, and wallet. You may find your next #1 salesperson too!

The Four Keys of Selling Excellence-SELL:

1)    Serving with Skill!  “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men,”  Solomon is quoted as saying; And the way I say it today is that the skilled stand before the great.  You will if you work your skill.  How well does the sales candidate ask questions, play back what they heard, align with you and get agreement?  How well do they paint a picture of successes they’ve had that compel you to take them off the market?  

2)    Expecting the best with exceptional ethic! Top people cast vision for a brighter tomorrow and show up in that today to make that real.  When I was promoted to take over the Boston Branch for Information Builders, they were in the basement but I told them: “You can be #1!”  In one year they went from worst to first by saying and showing up in that.  Meeting people in blizzards by getting out the reps Range Rover and surprising everyone but my team as we took the prize.


Sales is not only about persuading others. It is about persuading yourself to do the best for yourself, your customer, your boss and your family.  Getting up earlier than most; calling more executives before they get started and showing up and following up even when it’s tough and others are going home or having fun.  Ask candidates about when it looked bleak and how you came from behind.  How did you message a better vision to your team and customer and what extraordinary things did you have to do as a leader to make it all come true?  What does their work ethic look like? Were you a paperboy before you grew up?!

3)    Loving sales and people at the same time!  Sales is an awesome gift and game and I enjoy playing it every day.  It’s a rare gift to play, get paid and enjoy it! Play it all the way!  Ask them what they love in life.  Love to make money? Love to lead?  They better love to sell and love people.  You go after what you love.  When you saw someone you loved you went after it didn’t you?  “I love showing up in pay time!” (In front of new customers between 9-5 every day!) Do you?


4)    Learning to Leverage: Covey said “Sharpen the Saw.”  At least that’s the first time I heard it!  But then I saw he got it from Abe Lincoln who said that if he had a job to do he’d rather spend 75% of the time sharpening his axe and the other 25% effectively cutting!  How does that work in sales?  Well first you commit to lifelong learning.  Prideful execs say I already know how to sell!  Really?  Remember Randy Moss?  He knows how to catch too but did not work out because he wasn’t humbly and continually learning to leverage his God given talent. Get good coaches and mentors into your life.  Ask them who their best mentors, coaches and partners are!  What is the best business book they just read?  Also find out about how eager they are to leverage new approaches and techniques.  When are the best times to call executives for you?  Did you know it is 6-8 in the mornings Tuesday through Friday (or Thursday and Friday 1-5)?  Do they get up that early?  Where are they Friday afternoon: Are they in the office late calling or playing golf? When and how are they reaching out to open up new relationships and are thy open to new more effective ways to reach the fish when and where they are biting?

Find the SELL in your hires and you will always sell well!  Enjoy these tips to the most rewarding sales hire yet!  It may give you the best hires of your life!

Stay hungry and SELL well my friends!

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Tags: Recruiter Tips