Chapter 11.
Selecting Salespeople

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• Building Relationships – Professionalism

  Professional image is often recognized but not articulated Rarely discussed openly with salespeople Some managers fear that they might get sued Companies beginning to stress employee image and behavior Dress codes can be enforced as long as they don't discriminate Patterns of speech, accent may be important Community involvement getting a high priority Customers expect more than ever from a firm’s products and its salespeople Companies are committing more dollars to image Image Enhancement is considered and emerging strategic tool

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• Introduction
  Selection of the right salespeople is  crucial Managers need selection tools, techniques and knowledge Legal issues Show evidence that hiring standards do not discriminate Information collected must relate to the job The primary objectives of any selection system should be to choose those individuals best suited for the sales task	Questions to avoid
  	Arrests Convictions Age Height & weight Physical characteristics Education ??? sometimes Bankruptcy, garnishments Disabilities Friends and relatives

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• The Selection Process
  Preliminary Screening Interview	Eliminates the obviously unqualified Preliminary applications - if used Provides information for making decisions Provides information that may be needed if they are hired
  Personal History Form	More detailed than the preliminary application
  	Designing a Personal History Form
  	Rank each member of your current sales force Determine the background characteristics that correlates to success Weight these characteristics Design a form to collect this information Determine a "passing score" for applicants
  	Data usually collected
  	Name and address Professional credentials Languages Employment History	Significant activities Military Experience Health References

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• Interview
  Who should interview?
  Preliminary interview done by personnel (HR) Second interview Personnel department (at big centralized firms) Sales manager or assistant at smaller or decentralized firms For complex jobs there may be several others involved
  Types of interviews
  NonDirective Interview	Interviewer has maximum freedom to select topics for discussion Typically broad general questions No basic pattern Difficult to analytically compare applicants
  Patterned Interview	Most highly structured Specific questions are asked and answered Easier to compare May miss something important that was not on the list
  Interaction Interview	Set up a selling situation Observe how the applicant reacts
  Depth Interviews	More structure than the nondirective Less structure than the patterned
  Stress Interview	Number of interviewers Unfriendly Lots of fast questions Disturbances
  Number of Interviews
  Preliminary - Short Second - longer, more depth Third - actual sales manager Maybe more depending on the firm
  Type of Information
  Must have a definite, verifiable relationship to success on the job Skills Profile - composite of traits and qualities that exist in the company's best salespeople	Typical "Skills" profile
  	Education First Impression Motivational Skills Interpersonal skills Oral Communication	Knowledge Experience Persuasiveness Flexibility Planning Organization Judgement Tenacity Stability
  Problems
  The value of the information collected is marginal Interviewers produce inconsistent results unless the structured interview is used Untrained interviewers Compare applicants To an absolute standard? Among the current pool? (The best of the worst)
  Training interviewers
  Interviewers need to undergo intensive training Evaluation instruments should be developed

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• Tests
  Criticisms of Tests
  Tests are discriminatory Tests have a built in cultural bias Tests show no relationship to job performance
  Why Tests are Used
  Measure abilities aptitudes personalities In order to predict success
  The validation process
  Tests Should	Measure consistently Predict success Be inexpensive to administer Be easy to administer Be easy to score Be short
  Validation Method One	Test existing salespeople Rank the existing sales people Develop correlation
  Validation Method Two	Test new applicants Monitor performance after hire Develop correlation
  Steps in Development	Job analysis Selection of indicator Selection of test Measurement of performance Relate test scores to performance Make the decision Cross-validate with different groups
  Compensating for "unfair" tests	Give oral instead of written tests Develop tests especially for the group that is being unfairly treated Lower cutoff points Engage an advisor
  Types of tests
  Type	Measures	Example
  Mental Ability	learning ability reasoning ability not specific knowledge	Wonderlic Personnel Test Adaptability Test Wesman Personnel Classification Test Concept Mastery Test
  Personality	Emotional adjustment self confidence perseverance may be administered by a professional	Guildford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey Thematic Apperception Test California Personality Inventory
  Interests	strength of interest may compare interests with existing sales force	Strong Vocational Interest Bank Minnesota Vocational Interest Inventory Personality tests on the web Personality Tests by psychologists
  Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Recommendations about Testing
  Prepare careful, exact job descriptions and specifications Interview before testing Screening and interviewing should be related to specific job requirements Selection of tests should be related to specific job requirements. Tests should be validated against actual job performance.

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• Background investigation
  References
  Prediction Device (assumptions)	People fall into established patterns of behavior People will continue to behave in the future as they have in the past
  Sources of References	Applicants will give only good references Employers give the best references Don't contact present employer without permission
  Reluctance of Companies	Past employers do not want to hurt the person's chance of getting a job Companies have been sued for bad references
  Validity	Assure that the questions that you ask the references are relative to job performance The burden of proof is on the employer in a legal action
  Credit information
  	Widely used Not much research on the predictive value Applicants must be advised that a report will be solicited must be told the source if credit check is to be used Assumes that financial responsibility correlates with job performance. (not a proven fact)
  The polygraph or lie detector
  Measures	Electric Skin Resistance Cardiovascular activity Respiration
  Disadvantages	May register false when actually true Skill of the examiner is a factor May be considered an invasion of privacy May cause self-incrimination May violate human dignity May be illegal
  	Click either image for American Polygraph Association website

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• Final interview
  The actual supervisor should conduct the final interview Some firms have a candidate spend a day with a salesperson Prospect gets better understanding of the job Company gets another evaluation Chose from the best or Hire them all at this point

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• Physical examination
  Most companies require ADA requirements Employer must be able to prove that the physical demands  are a logical job requirement

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• Additional thoughts
  Interviewing the spouse	Attitude about sales Attitude about the company Attitude about company products Attitude about travel Attitude about overtime
  Informal atmosphere	If employee is expected to "entertain" Alcohol Tobacco Watch out for privacy rights

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• Summary

  Picking winners leads to good results Many legal and ethical restrictions on the uses of the various selection tools Company must maintain a good image with candidates selected and rejected