Sales Organizations (CONT’D FROM PAGE 70)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
conversion rates. That’s not a management system. That’s a hope-based system. And hope is not a strategy. The Crew: Gut Feel Is Not a Hiring Strategy Two out of three sales hires fail. Think about what that means. The average company is wrong more than it’s right every time it hires a salesperson. The reason isn’t that good salespeople are hard to find. The reason is that most companies have no real process for identifying them. They run a standard interview, ask the candidate what their strengths are, decide they like the person, and make an offer based on vibes. Behavioral interviewing — asking candidates to walk you through specific situations from their actual experi- ence, not what they would do in a hypothetical — is the most accurate predictor of future performance we have. Only thirty percent of companies use it consistently. The other seventy percent keep hiring on gut feel, then won- dering why their winning percentage is so low. The interview’s job is not to find someone you like. It’s to find evidence of the behaviors you need. You can learn to like them later. Maybe. Navigating What Most Sales Organizations Get Wrong Start with The Vessel. Sit down with your sales manag- er and answer three questions: How many first appoint- ments does each rep need per week to build a healthy pipeline? How many proposals need to go out? What does the conversion rate between each stage need to look like for someone to hit their number? If you can’t answer those with actual data, define them — today. Once the metrics exist, your hiring problem gets easier too. Now you know what behaviors you’re selecting for. A rep who has never managed a twenty-call-per-week pros- pecting cadence is a different candidate than one who has. Behavioral interviewing lets you find that out before you make the offer instead of three months after. None of this requires a consultant. It requires an honest afternoon and the willingness to define what good looks like — in writing, with numbers attached. The companies that do it stop wondering why results are inconsistent. They’ve finally built the instrument panel that tells them exactly where to look. Most CEOs already know how much of their sales or- ganization was designed — and how much just happened. The next step is deciding to do something about it. Troy Harrison is the Sales Navigator, a speaker, and the author of “Sell Like You Mean It” and “The Pocket Sales Manager.” He has trained salespeople from 23
CORRUGATED REPLACEMENTS, INC. www.corrugatedparts.com
Corrugated Replacements, Inc. is a production powerhouse that manufactures high quality machine parts and replace- ment parts for the corrugated and paperboard converting industries. CRI can redesign, engineer, and manufacture any part while providing a rapid turn-around rate, keeping machines running at their peak performance and limiting down time.
C.U.E., INC. www.AnvilCovers.com
Makers of single and dual-width Timesaver® Anvil Covers, the premier urethane anvil cover for corrugated die cutting. Timesaver® covers feature construction of solid steel back- ing and solid steel locking components to ensure a precise fit every time. C.U.E., Inc. also offers Dura-Latch and Cor- Lock anvil covers, and urethane Lead Edge Feed Wheels.
EMBA www.embausa.com
The EMBA group supports a complete line of corrugated converting machinery for the worldwide market. EMBA’s Quick Set technology enables the highest productivity across a broad range of converting equipment, from mini to super jumbo. EMBA also includes the McKinley jumbo line of flexo folder gluers and rotary die cutters as well as ser- vice, rebuilds and upgrades for both EMBA and McKinley.
EAGLEWOOD TECHNOLOGIES, LLC www.eaglewoodtech.com
Eaglewood Technologies offers trusted cleaning technolo- gies for the world’s best printers and converters. Solutions include the award winning Sitexco+ Anilox Laser System, the Nanovis Parts Washing System, the Sitexco L10 Label System, the innovative Sanilox™ System or Alphasonics solutions. We also offer Xpress™ mobile cleaning service at your facility or ours. ESKO www.esko.com ArtiosCAD and Kongsberg are the most trusted names in CAD/CAM solutions. Esko’s ArtiosCAD is the most widely used CAD software in the world. Esko’s Kongsberg series of tables brings you reliable, outstanding quality for sample- making and short run production.
DOMINO www.dominodigitalprinting.com
different countries who live on three continents and has spoken all over North America and Europe. He helps companies navigate the Elements of Sales on their journey to success. He offers a free 45-minute Sales Strate- gy Review. To schedule, please visit www.TroyHarrison.com/ssr.
Domino is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digital printing and product identification solutions. Celebrating its 44th year, Domino is headquartered in the UK and North America headquarters are Illinois. Domino has 25 subsid- iaries, representation in over 120 countries, and over 2,900 employees worldwide .
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72 April 13, 2026
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