November 28th, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Treeline Sales Job of the Week: Novemeber 28, 2011 – December 4,2011
Channel Sales Account Executive
Company Profile:
Our client is a well established software company. They are industry leaders and have been on a consistent growth rate. This company offers a wide variety of software solutions that reduce cost and increase customer satisfaction. If you are looking for a solid organization to build and grow your career this could be a great opportunity for you.
Job Description:
In this role you will drive revenue through the channel with a multi million dollar quota. You will be delivering enterprise level business presentations and working to maintain a strong relationship with the partner community. You must have 5+ years experience delivering software at the enterprise level with a strong understanding of the channel process. Travel will be roughly 50% as you will be responsible for the Eastern half of the USA.
Requirements:
5+ years Enterprise Software Sales exp
Strong time management skills/Travel is 50%
Strong understanding of a channel sales process
CRM, ERP, Oracle, SAP experience
Base Comp. $100,000.00
Total Comp. $200,000.00
If you are interested pleaseJoin Our Private Network! If you are already a member of our sales network contact your Treeline consultant.
November 21st, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Personality tests – do they work for sales people?
By Dan Fantasia Treeline Inc. President and CEO
Over the past 5 years we have seen an increase in personality tests. There are hundreds if not thousands of personality tests out there and they vary greatly. The one thing for certain is that they all believe they are the correct test to help identify the right person for your team. Reviews vary and the usefulness of these tests depends on many uncontrollable variables. There is always the potential for dishonesty and deception when sales professionals pining for a position take these types of test. Sales professionals are excellent at using their sales skills to qualify and position themselves appropriately. They are also excellent at finding the right solution for a problem.
Some companies rely and trust personality tests to help with each hire while others question the validity of the results. It is very difficult to predict a good hire from a sales prospective. For instance, a candidate receives a great score, but after looking at critical information (ie. sales stats: sales size, quota and W2) their job performance proves to be disappointing. This is where the challenge lies. Given the nature of sales professionals and their creative social personalities these uncertainties can cause misinterpretation of the data.
Do you think personality tests for sales professionals should be given the boot?
While some employers have a strong conviction regarding the use of personality test, I don’t. We hire hundreds of sales people every year and our research has found that they don’t work. We have analyzed similar hiring companies and how they move through the interview process with talented sales professionals.
Our findings are very interesting. We have found that while one company rejects a candidate based on unsatisfactory test scores the other recognizes the candidate’s potential. While one company passes on the candidate the other has a different perception and hires what they consider to be their next top producer.
We have followed the success of those candidates and they do exactly what we thought. They fight for the top slot on the sales force. They work hard and have something to prove and rely on themselves to get the job done. These sales people have risen to the top and are top producers.
This is why I have trouble with personality tests. We see them fail and see top producers get passed by. The troubling piece is that many of these companies that pass over true talent don’t realize it. They have no access to data that show that their process is broken and as a result of not they never truly understand how to hire talented sales professionals. Instead they believe that the personality test validates their “strong” hiring process and the perception that their sales team is top notch. This methodology can be unhealthy and very deceptive. Many of these companies could be missing incredible hiring opportunities.
November 21st, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Why companies struggle to hire “talented” sales people
By Dan Fantasia, Treeline Inc. President and CEO
Hiring “talented” sales professionals is not easy. Hiring a top producer in today’s market is incredibly challenging, very time consuming and it requires a significant amount of effort. Companies struggle to hire because the playing field is far more competitive than expected. The negative news, high unemployment rate and unstable political environment has given many managers a false perception surrounding the ease of hiring. I can assure you that hiring talented sales professionals requires a new strategy.
4 techniques to hire “talented” sales people:
1. Get in sync with your target audience.
Hiring managers are out of sync with their target audience. Sales representatives today are more in sync with social media and connecting with hiring managers through their own social network. Most top producers are not actively searching for new opportunities. They don’t apply to jobs, they don’t spend time reading advertisements and their entire selection process is based on recommendations. They look and consider companies based on reputation (www.glassdoor.com), executive team and employee satisfaction. If you are a hiring manager and your company is not investing in connecting with top producers through social channels and working to constantly build brand equity then you should not expect a robust pipeline of talent when looking to hire. You must invest the time to connect and brand your company as a great work environment that offers healthy, sustainable career progression. Get in sync with the talent pool and build a strong brand identity with them. Connect socially and consistently communicate this message to them.
2. Define what key attributes make up a top producing sale professional.
Which attributes make up your top producing sales representative? This is a daunting exercise but critical to perform. When considering key attributes focus on professional traits as well as the more elusive personality traits. Start by analyzing your current environment and study your top producers: understand why they are “A” players in your organization. What are they doing to be top producers? Then look to understand where they built their skill set to learn these traits. Is it from specific companies that they worked at in the past or from the different life experiences (i.e. international travel, academic success, athletic scholarships, overachievement, etc.)? Once you have uncovered these attributes identify those candidates that share the same attributes and interview them. Build a pipeline of candidates that meet this criterion and you will have a strong pipeline of talent. Don’t be overly critical of resumes because they will not share full insight into what a candidate has to offer your team. This is hard work and you must read between the lines when interviewing candidates. Prepare questions that identify the characteristics you care about and help spot talent for your team.
3. Sales talent is not easily spotted on a resume.
If you are in sales you know how important time is. You also know how to fill a pipeline and qualify good opportunities. When you are recruiting talented sales professionals, it is important to know how to quickly scan a resume and immediately use social sites to assess talented professionals. Having a strong understanding of the key attributes you are looking for in your next hire will save you time and resources. Expect to build a pipeline of qualified candidates and then invest the time needed to interview and qualify good candidates. Having a plan in place while interviewing candidates and recognizing what questions you should ask will help you understand the full capabilities of each candidate. Expect to read between the lines and prepare to ask good questions to uncover the proper skill set. Top performers are difficult to find and difficult to move in today’s uncertain market; once you qualify strong talent do not delay. Talented sales professionals always get concerned when there is a delay in the hiring process, ALWAYS. No matter what they tell you and no matter how patient they are with your process if it is slow there will be concerns. Since talented sales people understand the sales process, stalling will definitely cause concerns and you should consider yourself lucky to make a hire. Don’t waste time and effort in an extensive interview process if you are not ready to hire.
4. Avoid uncertainty.
Never be ruled by fear when making a hiring decision. You have a process in place and you know how to hire and what you are looking for. If you have doubt and wonder whether the sales person is going to be successful then don’t hire her/him. If you recognize that the candidate is talented from your interview process, but you are concerned that they are missing something else then hire them. You have to decide whether to take a risk on that person. That risk can be reduced with a longer ramp up period or more extensive training. The point is that retaining and sustaining talented sales professionals is hard work. If you endeavor to foster and sustain a high-output sales culture, you will have to take some risks. Those risks should be calculated. If you have the opportunity to hire an “A” player that has minimal industry experience do it. They will fight to be number one, work extra hard to ramp up then scale your sales force for success. Your team will become industry leaders and will be that much more committed to your company and your methodology.
Understanding the intricacies of your sales force, and what makes a top producer, is fundamental. Learn to identify “talented” sales professionals and believe in your ability to train and ramp them up. Hoping that your competition will produce top representatives for your company is not a sustainable strategy. You have to groom top producers for your company. Now it is critical to figure how to do it. Hiring is your responsibility and will require many hours of work, but it will be worth it at the end of the year when you are hitting your revenue targets. This is the time to ramp up for 2012. Carpe Diem!
November 14th, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
By Dave DeMelo Senior Consultant at Treeline, Inc.
Dear Dave,
I recently found out that the company I’ve worked at for the past four years is going to be restructuring and making changes in the sales department. While I’ve been contemplating moving on in my career I hesitate launching my search for a better sales opportunity. I am a top producer and doing very well where I am, however the restructuring of my department is concerning. I decided that it’s time to actively search for a new sales opportunity.
I realize that the upcoming holiday season might have an impact on my job search. Do you think that I should wait until after the New Year to start introducing myself to hiring managers and networking with my colleagues, or should I start now?
Should I stay or should I go?!
Great question! This time of the year can be quite hectic and if you cannot fully invest yourself in your job search than it might be a better idea to stay at your current job and see what happens to your sales department. However, if you are committed to your job search, have the time and you’re willing to put in the hard work that goes into finding a new sales opportunity then start making some introductions.
Don’t let the holiday season deter you from putting yourself out there. Companies are hiring in record time during this time of the year; they need to fill headcount by the end of the year and are seeking top talent to fill the pipeline for 2012.
Since you are still employed and will be taking time off it is a good idea to organize your job search and time your interviews accordingly. Since no two companies have the same hiring process it is crucial to uncover the steps of the hiring process and have an approximation of when they will hire.
It all starts with you. Are you ready for your job search? If so, qualify each opportunity. Changing careers is a risk, but if you put in the time and effort you will be rewarded. The holiday season does have its challenges, but as long as you are open, up front and ask the right questions you are bound to find success in your new sales opportunity.
November 14th, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
With 2012 fast approaching, is the economy stable enough to support looking for a new opportunity?
By Alex Bender Consultant at Treeline, Inc.
If you are a good sales person you should always be selectively keeping your ear to the ground and listening for new opportunities. It’s when you are at the top of your game that you are most marketable. With so much economic uncertainty in the market people are becoming complacent. They stay in positions where they may not be happy or fulfilled because of fear of the unknown.
In mid October a small group of the Treeline team attended a symposium on the hiring trends for New England in 2012. The keynote speaker was Mike Goodman of the Massachusetts Donahue Institute. Goodman talked about how New England has some interesting advantages as we move into 2012. While we have been hit hard in the construction and housing market we are incredibly strong when it comes to technology.
Goodman credited the saturation of colleges and universities in the area for the continued growth in the technology market. They have provided sustained innovation and the breeding ground for new companies and employment.
Goodman’s hypothesis is that we will continue to see drastic changes in the stock market for the foreseeable future, but the local economy will continue to be stable.
According to a new report released by the University of Massachusetts, the state’s economic recovery continued to outpace the nation’s, although economists predicted shrinking global demand for the state’s technology products could hurt future growth.
The quarterly report on the state economy noted that the better-than-expected growth will help the state likely avoid a second, or “double dip” recession. However, the pace of growth appears insufficient to make a significant dent in unemployment. The unemployment rate in Massachusetts was 7.3 percent in September, compared to 9.1 percent nationally.
Massachusetts’ economy grew at an annual rate of 3.9 percent between July and September, up from 3.4 percent in the previous quarter. The U.S. economy grew at a 2.5 percent annual rate during the same period, nearly doubling from 1.3 percent pace in previous quarter.
The report, however, projected that the state economy will slow to 2.7 percent growth rate in the last three months of this year, noting several risks on the horizon. Among them: an economic meltdown in Europe and the possibility that US political leaders could fail to resolve the nation’s debt problems. European leaders have reached agreement on a package aimed at addressing debt and banking problems.
These economic variables and risk factors have had an effect on economic growth and specifically the unemployment rate. The fear of the unknown continues to dissipate throughout the nation.
Do you agree with Goodman’s hypothesis? Will New England’s economy continue to be stable? How will the technology industry effect sales hiring?
Woolhouse, Meghan. “Mass. Economic Recovery Continues to Outpace Nation%u2019s – Business Updates – Massachusetts Business News from The Boston Globe.” Business Updates from The Boston Globe. Boston.com, 27 Oct. 2011. Web. <http://www.boston.com/Boston/businessupdates/2011/10/mass-economic-recovery-continued-outpace-nation/EYtU871A1FQ8CzLYPynRLI/index.html>.
November 9th, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Should You Hire For Skill Or Spirit?
By Michelle Randall Expert Blogger at FastCompany.com
Companies spend a huge amount of time and resources crafting business strategies. Even so, most of these strategies end in failure.
I saw one company spend half a million dollars and hundreds of employee hours implementing a new strategy, only to admit that it wasn’t working. They had to spend even more money and lay off employees trying to put things back to the way they were before. The next time the company tried to introduce a new strategy, it was met with considerable employee resistance.
If employees don’t buy into a strategy, it’s doomed to failure from the start. After all, strategy doesn’t execute itself. People execute it. This is why it’s vital to integrate strategy and people.
Because people represent the potential of the business, high-growth companies need high-growth employees. Employee development is the key ingredient in breaking through to the next level of growth. Employees have to develop new skills that allow them to perform at higher levels so that they can quickly deliver on the potential of the strategy and the company itself.
While it’s certainly possible to hire for new capabilities, there are tremendous benefits of promoting from within. Just a few benefits include: retaining technical knowledge; honoring the informal, social fabric of the organization; and fostering the culture of the company.
Employee development needs to be included in both strategy creation and execution. There are two main ways to assess people and their development: skills and spirit.
Skills are things that can be trained. A leader can be coached on how to become more influential and engage their team to achieve great results. An employee can be trained technical skills such as engineering, accounting, and marketing that they need to do their jobs really, really well.
Spirit refers to the “soft” skills that can’t be trained effectively. You have to hire for them. These are hard to find but are necessary for a company to function smoothly.
One of these skills is teamwork–the ability to put the needs of the group ahead of personal desires. Another is heart, as in “put your heart into it.” This describes true commitment and passionate engagement. Employees with heart take ownership of their jobs and go the extra mile.
One of my clients, a growing manufacturing company, got a huge order that had to be delivered on a rush basis. Everyone at the company had to pull out all the stops to get the job done on time.
Two women working on the manufacturing floor had the idea to make posters to keep track of progress. These were updated several times a day so that everyone could see how close they were to completion. The posters helped keep everyone motivated, and with a lot of extra effort the order was filed with zero errors.
The two women demonstrated both teamwork and heart. They were promoted to management positions shortly afterwards.
Too often, companies hire for skills without enough consideration for spirit. When that happens, you end up with a bunch of wonks who can’t work together. There needs to be a balance between skills and spirit across the entire company.
This same balance needs to exist within individual senior managers. A VP of global marketing at a IT company recently asked me about this. He told me that one of his senior managers had great skills and was a decent leader, but he wasn’t showing any heart–he just didn’t seem to care about the company. The VP said that the manager’s bad attitude was starting to wear off on his entire team.
My reply was clear and simple. I told him that if the manager’s heart wasn’t in it, there were two options: move him into a purely technical position or let him go. Senior managers are a microcosm of your company. They are the role models for other employees. As such, they need to have both skills and spirit.
Integrating strategy and people accelerates the potential growth of any organization and is critical for high-growth companies.
Randall, Michelle. “Should You Hire For Skill Or Spirit?” Where Ideas and People Meet. Fast Company, 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. <http://www.fastcompany.com/1793369/hiring-for-skill-or-spirit>.
Company Profile: Our client is a leader in the telecommunications industry. They have shown consistent growth over the years and are known for their best in class products. They pride themselves on their dedicated team of employees who provide next to none service to their customers nation wide. This organization offers excellent benefits and lots of growth opportunities.
Job Description: This opportunity is calling for a proven Outside Sales Representative to sell telecommunications solutions to a base of hospitals throughout Boston. This rep will conduct strategic conversations with “C” level executives as well as department heads.
Requirements: The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years of outside sales experience exceeding quotas. Must have experience selling technology in a consultative manner. Degree required. Must have clean driving record. Employment, criminal & driving records will be checked.
Base Comp. $40,000.00
Total Comp. $70,000.00
If you are interested pleaseJoin Our Private Network! If you are already a member of our sales network contact your Treeline consultant.
