Chris Connors’ Post

Are you or anyone you know hiring entry-level sales talent? Then you're probably aware of the numbers currently on the market. Spend enough time, you may find a candidate sifting through resumes. If that's working - keep doing what you're doing. For some, they're spending more time on that vs. revenue-driving activities Needing one too many screening calls to find the right person. You eventually bring someone in... and they're gone after 4 months If that's something you've experienced, you should check out Shift Connect. A portal housing everybody that has completed Shift Group training Hundreds of former elite athletes and military vets That have dedicated 40+ hours in the interest of their personal development Who will outwork and outperform the expectations set within your org Trained on foundational skills that will make them productive, right away. Ranging from many different cultures and backgrounds ----- It's Friday afternoon and you have some time on your hands...... Comment or Tag a sales leader in the comments

8 months ago, I hired 2 salespeople instead of 1: why? If talent is there, don't miss out and recruit. For example, I wanted to hire 1 Account Executive in the beginning. The company I hired presented me dozens of strong candidates. In the end, I hired not 1 but 2 AEs because both profiles were excellent. Obviously, it's something that you only can do when you have some cash to upfront but it's a luxury move to pull out when you can, to not miss talented recruits. ---- Question: how do you approach hiring at your company? Activate the bell for more content like this 🔔 PS: I'm now recruiting for a Sales Engineer - you can check the job offer on Findymail's company page.

One of the easiest things to overlook is where people started. But it matters. William Padilla, Vin Matano and I all started our careers... ...in door to door sales. People like Jason M. Lemkin recommend to hire reps that sold a "harder product" before joining you. It's a strong indicator for personality traits you want in your sales org. They will likely have experienced tougher conditions, more headwind, longer sales cycles. Just think about it, if you can swim in the ocean, you wont drown in a pool. That got me thinking. Look for door to door experience when hiring for cold calling. Look for cold calling when hiring for cold emailing. Will, Vin, and I all faced the most direct, brutal, and exhausting kind of rejection. Like Danilo said: "The OG of sales" 😂 Moving forward in our careers, it made everything easier for us. That's why, when checking for what product your candidates sold before, check for how they sold it. When it's time for us to put together an outbound team, I'd love to work with people who did door to door. Full conversation on youtube, link below 👇

I’ve been looking for my next great role for a couple months now, with the intent to start back to work (after blissfully taking the holidays off for the first time ever) after the 1st of the year. I’ve been very surprised that I’ve not heard back from companies who have open roles listed where I meet every.single.requirement on the job req. It’s happened several times now. Some of these boxes are extremely specific, and I check every single one of them, but hear nothing / notta / crickets. Instead, the hiring managers that I am hearing from are looking to fill roles that I know I could and would love to do, but I do NOT necessarily have 1:1 direct experience doing them. I have four separate sales roles I’m interviewing for right now (4, yay) and all of them would be something slightly new for me (which I’m so excited about. I love love love the challenge of figuring out how to sell new things, and the rush that you get when you do!). The training roles that are exactly like my last position, where people I know who work there have put me in for the job? They don’t even respond, like, at all. What’s my point? If it sounds fun to you, just apply! It only takes one person to see that your skills would transfer nicely, and isn’t that the kind of open-to-new-ideas place where you’d want to work anyway? (Clearly, yes).

It's tempting, really tempting, to cut corners in the sales hiring process. Who wouldn't want to fast-track to top talent? We've all heard it before: "Drink your own Kool-Aid." And that’s exactly what I am keeping in mind as Braveheart Sales Performance seeks to onboard a new sales rep for our team. Here's the hiring reality check: Securing the right fit demands time, patience, and adherence to a proven process. Would it be faster to skip assessments? Absolutely. Would it be simpler to just do what we did last year and set it and forget it? Without a doubt. Would it be a dream come true if the perfect candidate just stumbled upon our job posting? Undoubtedly. However here’s what I know: Cutting corners for time and money will only end up costing more time and money. Recruiting in sales is not easy. Yet, there's a blueprint, and we're fully committed to practicing what we preach. Investing the necessary effort in hiring—even when it presents challenges—is the key to long-term success.

I needed some extra moo-lah so I could grow, so I thought I'd go back into the work force and started applying. A lot. I've sent hundreds of applications out to various positions across a couple of industries because I am a jack of all trades kind of worker. It doesn't really matter what it is, I figure it out, and in a few weeks, I'm pretty good at it. But one thing I have always done since my very first foray into corporate America is working phones. Call Centers. I spent years at UPS call center, and then moving over to Account Management (Sales) to help their Account Executives. All phones, inbound and out. I spent years doing phone sales for Education, at Remington, then Florida Southern College, Kaplan University and ITT, both on the phones (inbound and out) AND in Management with teams as large as 54 direct repors. My resume screams "this guy kinda knows Call Centers." But... Either AI says no or their hiring manager is looking for something different. And this generic "no position for you" email is what I get. A lot. Now, it could be I don't have transportation experience listed on my resume. Despite working for UPS, the OG transpo company. Or maybe they want an ex-trucker turned sales guy, which is what another company told me when I talked with them two years ago. Though it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm venting more than anything. Because I know things work out the way they are supposed to work out and maybe this company culture and I would not be a good fit. They just had the misfortune of being one of less than ten companies to actually respond to an application, out of hundreds. So when I hear some CEO on the news throwing a tantrum that they can't find "good" workers or people to hire, I take it with a grain of salt. A huge grain of salt. Because maybe they need to look at how they are using AI or INDEED or their hiring practices to find what they are looking for instead of putting the blame on the workforce. Accountability. A lesson I need to learn myself. Because maybe this wasn't the right job for me. Maybe my experience should lead me to something else. Either way, it's a good day to spend some time thinking about what I can make better on my resume, my submissions and/or my attitude. But I'm grateful you listened.

Before you Scroll Past, Hear me Out Thanks! There are 2 scenarios this statement will be said to you: 1) After a Big win (you’ve done a brilliant job and the client is impressed) 2) After a missed opportunity (they realized their mistake of not hiring you earlier) To achieve number 1, “Exceed expectations” - instead of copying and pasting, do in-depth research - ⁠instead of sending generic messages to potential leads, personalize your pitches To avoid number 2, “Seize the opportunity” - instead of being indecisive about hiring someone, just hit the send button - ⁠instead of waiting to be convinced for the 100th time, approach them Regardless, of the scenario, I like it when my clients says this. P:S - if you’ve ever said this to me, this was the face I made behind the text 🥴 P:S:S - if you’re looking for a VA to say this to, send me a message, I promise, You’re gonna say it :)

I love telling the story about interviewing a guy named Ryan for a sales job eight years ago. Before we hired him, Ryan's previous job was moving boxes from one end of a warehouse to the other end. I'll never forget what he said in the interview: "there is nothing you could ask me to do on a phone or computer that would be harder or more boring than my warehouse job. 40 cold calls a day? 70? I don't care, I'll do it." Ryan had zero sales experience. Here's what he did have: - coachability - good writing skills - high integrity - social awareness - the will to succeed Today he's in a very different income bracket. So if you're out there thinking "gosh I'd love to make a career switch into tech sales...but who wants to hire a [insert your current job]??" DM me. If you really want this I will help you find a job. Startups don't need experienced sellers. They need people who want to roll up their sleeves.

Finding the Right Fit: When "No" Means "Yes" Imagine a candidate reaching out, stating they hate sales and want out. As a recruiter, my first thought was, "Next!" But something held me back. This individual had a strong lighting industry background, and after a quick conversation, their passion and personality shone through. While they disliked outbound sales, their natural communication skills, and problem-solving abilities screamed "inbound sales." With their permission, I contacted a lighting company client, pitching them not just on the candidate's experience, but on their potential in a different role. Two weeks later, I had a happy candidate and a thrilled client. This experience highlights the importance of reading between the lines. Candidates might not always know exactly what they want, and it's our job as recruiters to listen, understand, and guide them toward their ideal fit. #recruiting #careerdevelopment #talentacquisition #blackbirdrecruiting

No matter where you hope to end up in your career, starting in Sales – especially as an SDR – is one of the best ways to set yourself up for future success. At least for me, it was 💪 Here’s why ⬇️ Working in Sales will help you build valuable skills you’ll utilize forever: 🔐Making a meaningful impact – The European SMEs we talk to are facing tough HR challenges. Many of them are still stuck using spreadsheets. By introducing them to Personio, you’ll be throwing them a lifeline to get themselves out of HR chaos. 🗣️Communicating (effectively) with anyone – Learning how to pitch, negotiate, convince senior leadership and close deals is an invaluable skill. Over time, practicing your communication will make you more precise, concise and persuasive. 🔎Creating a pipeline – If you can develop a Sales pipeline without relying on someone else, it can pay off in many ways down the line. For example, if you become an entrepreneur someday, you’ll probably need this skill. Why not learn it early, right Johannes Hillebrandt 😉 But for me personally, the most important asset is... 💪Building a resilient mindset – Overcoming setbacks is a part of any sales role, and while that may seem scary, it will help you practice learning from failure. Resiliency pays off in any career. This is something that helped me in my personal life And those are just a few examples. Starting out as an SDR is a great launch pad not only for sales careers but for any business career. 🚀 Do these skills resonate with you? We’re hiring! See our open SDR roles here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dmC5Jtjw