When hiring a sales professional in the technology arena, there are only two essential criteria for evaluating a sales candidate.

1) Can they sell?

AND

2) Will they sell?

I suggest the following strategies to get the answers you need to hire IT sales talent.

First, use a proven sales assessment tool to evaluate a candidate’s natural behavioral style and match the results to the competencies necessary for sales success in your industry and your sales culture. If a candidate’s profile does not match, do not hire. They probably can’t or won’t change. If the risk is high, walk away.

Next, evaluate their willingness to sell through a comprehensive behavioral based interview process. Sales people sell, and that is exactly what they are doing in an interview. They are selling themselves. Without expertise to dig deep below the surface answers provided by many sales candidates, you will be fooled most of the time.

Smooth talkers do not always equate into great sales people. If you are sensing a smoke screen, move on to other candidates, no matter how “likeable” he or she may be.