Why You Keep Hiring the Wrong Salespeople and How to Fix It

You’ve been here before—hiring a “rockstar” salesperson who dazzles in the interview but fails to deliver. Flat revenue, missed targets, and excuse after excuse. Sound familiar?

This week on the Hire Power Radio Show, Rick Girard digs into the root of this all-too-common issue with sales leadership expert Gary Braun. Together, they break down why small businesses consistently hire the wrong type of salesperson—and what to do about it.

Gary brings deep expertise from his time growing a company from $1M to $400M in revenue, and now helping 400+ companies build high-performing sales teams through Pivotal Advisors.

Key Takeaways

Sales roles aren’t one-size-fits-all: Define your specific sales needs—hunter vs. farmer, service vs. product, inside vs. outside, and more.
Most interviews fail at the basics: Without a structured interview process tailored to sales, poor hires are inevitable.
Positioning is everything: Ensure candidates are positioned properly for your company, not just anyone’s.
Stop relying on interviews alone: Incorporate assessments, real-world activities, and informal settings like dinners to evaluate the whole person.
Build a multi-touch hiring process: Involve multiple perspectives, clear expectations, and defined next steps.

Actionable Advice for Your Business

Define the role with precision. Don’t settle for vague traits—outline the exact skills needed for your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile).
Design a repeatable interview process. Go beyond gut feelings and surface-level charm.
Leverage data-driven tools. Use assessments and scenario-based activities to test real-world selling skills.
Focus on alignment. Ask: is this candidate the right fit for the sales environment I’ve built?