Here we are. Finaly at the Sales Success Trait that most sales ops leaders want to focus on: Persistence.

Like the other articles – make sure to read this one [https://go.sellingeffectiveness.com/LI.11.18.PM] about the trait for salespeople and this one [https://go.sellingeffectiveness.com/LI.11.19.PM] for leaders.



If our goal is to build a recruiting, interviewing, hiring process where we want to identify and hire for these traits, how do we look for (and set someone up for) Persistence?

The “Killer Question”: A Double-Edged Sword

What most hiring managers look for is a candidate who asks the ‘killer question’: “When can I start?”

Yes, that question is a great indication of a strong, confident salesperson, it can also be sign of trouble. Let me explain.

You just got done with the first, or maybe second, interview. It’s early in your process and timeline for hiring. Then you ask them if they have any questions for you. They respond with, “No, no questions. Only – when can I start?”

You get excited. You have found a killer. It’s exactly what you want a salesperson to do and say. This is probably what’s missing with the current team – someone who asks for the sale.

But this isn’t necessarily a sign of something you truly want.

Why Asking for the Sale May Signal a Lack of Process

I know the standard advice is that you should always ask for the sale. You don’t get what you don’t ask for. And if most salespeople would actually ask, they would close more sales. But a professional shouldn’t have to ask for the sale. They should just assume the sale and move forward.

I won’t go into full detail on why, but think about when you go to the doctor – do they ask you if you want the prescription that will help you? Or to fix your broken arm? Or to do the brain surgery to remove the tumor they found?

No – they don’t ask, they assume. They followed a process, they are a professional, they know what should come next.

Salespeople who must ask for the sale probably do not have an actual sales process. They are just jumping in and using their natural talking skills to try and move the prospect forward.

[Note – of course there are times that you need to ask certain prospects if they want to move forward, but generally you shouldn’t have to.]

So, when your candidate, especially very early in the hiring process goes in for the close, what do you think they will do with your sales interactions? They will do the same thing – go in early and hard for the close. Question for you – will that work for your prospects? Will they want to be sold hard?

My guess is No.

So how do we test for Persistence if its not waiting and watching for the ‘killer question’?

Testing for True Persistence

By testing them and their true desire to get the job. Here’s how…

Somewhere around interview two or three (depending on the length of your process), tell that you are working through all the candidates in this round, and that you will be getting back to them and everyone else by a certain day and time (Friday, 5 pm). Then tell them that if they haven’t heard from you by then, to follow up – ensure they have your email and phone number. Tell that sometimes you get busy, and you won’t ghost them, but you might get stuck and not update them by then. “Feel free to reach out to me for an update, if you haven’t heard from me.”

I tell this to all the candidates I like and want to move forward.

Then when Friday at 5 pm comes, I do nothing. I don’t reach out to anyone. I don’t contact or update anyone.

I just wait to see who reaches out.

Why This Approach Works

You see, how they treat this interview and job-hunting process is the same way they will treat your sales pipeline and follow ups.

Ever had a salesperson who literally won’t make a single follow up call to their unclosed prospects? (Silly question…of course you have…you might even have a team full of them.)

If someone won’t reach back out to you about a job they said they wanted, there is no way they will treat your leads any different.

People are who they are – especially when they don’t think anyone is watching (which is the theme of these sales ops, hiring articles for the Sales Success Traits).

What you are now waiting for is anyone who reaches out - that emails, calls, or texts you to check in. And who does it in a professional way (not creepy/stalker, not desperate, etc.).

The Candidates You Want to Move Forward

That is your candidate that you want to move forward.

What about the ones who disappear and never follow up? What if they are amazing on paper and crushed the first interview(s)?

Don’t reach out to them. Fight the urge. Mark them as a ‘No’ and move one. Don’t chase them, because if you do – then they own you in the relationship, and you will have to chase/nag/bribe them to do their job for the time they are with you (until you give up and fire them).

Trust me – this process works really well and will identify your ideal candidate at a deeper level than the resume and standard interview questions will ever show you.