A candidate’s prior performance is surely a top item on your checklist when hiring new sales reps. There’s no question that results are paramount, but there are other factors to consider as well.
Writing ability is a core competency that all hiring managers should evaluate when making additions to their teams. A sales rep’s use of the written word affects virtually all areas of the selling process.
Skilled writers are invaluable to your sales team
From email etiquette to grammar, attention to detail is crucial to your sales reps’ success.
Even the smoothest talkers won’t perform well if their written correspondence leaves something to be desired. To maximize your performance, you need to make sure that not only has every member of your sales team mastered basic writing techniques, but also that they write with care and precision.
Managers cannot proofread every email that goes out on behalf of the company. Since your sales reps are the face of your organization, it’s imperative that they communicate properly.
Why issue writing assessments to potential sales reps?
An incoherent email or a poorly written paragraph could kill a viable sales opportunity and jeopardize a valuable client relationship. In a sea of other vendors who are vying for decision makers’ time, first impressions are incredibly important. Grammar issues, spelling mistakes and unprofessional language can be immediate disqualifiers.
Don’t kill your lead flow by sending outreach that is dead-on-arrival before you even get to show the prospect value. The quality of your writing is going to be what allows the conversation to begin in the first place. At TitanHouse, virtually 100% of deals that the sales team closes involve multiple instances of written communication. Without strong writers, every single one of those deals is put in jeopardy.
How we handle writing assessments in our interviews
At TitanHouse, I incorporate writing assessments into the very end of the interview process. While the candidate is still in the office, I ask them to write a one-paragraph email convincing me to become a fan of their favorite sports team. I give the candidate a laptop and have them email the paragraph to me when they’re finished. The hiring manager and I review the context, grammar, and persuasiveness of the email.
Strong communication is just as important for sales reps as it is for the C-suite. A leader who can’t communicate effectively in his or her writing is going to have a tough time managing and optimizing the sales team. A writing assessment can give the hiring manager confidence that the candidate can adequately represent the voice of the company. Without that voice, the candidate’s other skills matter little.
Now that you know the importance of writing assessments, you should consider the 4 Reasons Why Personality Assessments are Critical to the Hiring Process for Salespeople
