Seeking MVP Fintech Sales Talent
As a specialized Payments and Fintech recruiter, I believe the term “sales athlete” has become a metaphor for the best sales candidates.
In the sports world athletes are driven, determined to win, go beyond the required, and are team players.
Going beyond the quantitative results and really understanding the qualitative record of “how” they achieve what they do is key to finding the right MVP sales hire.
This can be a hard lesson to learn for the hiring manager as not all sales athletes compete in the same way.
Here are 5 areas to discuss with your sales candidate that will help you hire the real MVP:
1. Not closing the championship of big deals. What did they learn from those experiences and what did they do to improve?
2. Practice Makes Perfect. Discuss the types of training they have gone through, what have they done to hone their skills and stay at the top of their game?
3. Teamwork and Leadership. Ask for an example of a successful team they were a member of and the roles they played on that team. What was the outcome? Does their view of the team go beyond the sales organization?
4. Coach-ability. Most great athletes are coach-able, they understand the need for on-going improvement and will be receptive to those who offer help and advice. Ask for some examples of when a coach /sales leader helped them improve?
5. Game Preparation. Top athletes have a plan for each game. They know the competition and they know what they need to do to win. How do they prepare for a sales call and do they have a plan with a goal for the call?
While understanding the "result metrics" of successful sales candidates is critical, understanding “how they play the game” will provide insights into work ethics, motivation, teamwork, cultural fit, and long-term success in your organization.
Since 1999 Group W Partners has been a market leading Payments Recruitment and Fintech Executive Search firm.
