Long Term Horizon

I had an interesting conversation recently with a colleague. It went something like this: "how do you know if a sales person is really good?" Of course you can do the normal things like reference checks, detailed interviews, presentations, etc... But there is always a risk when you take somebody from one industry and move them to another (i.e. hardware to software; database to erp, etc...). What if you hire a sales person who was 200% of goal in their previous company, but they never blow it open in their new role in your company? At the end of the day, I recommend you look at sales talent over a long horizon. What have they done at a few different companies? Have they consistenly achieved goals and do their references reflect a track record of success and high ethics? There is an old saying, "even a blind elephant can find a peanut sometimes." My advice - hire the best talent you can find; people that have success everywhere they have been. Talk to their references - people they have worked for, customers, etc... and make sure your instinct feels right about a hiring decision. By the way, if you feel strongly about your mentoring skills, don't be afraid to hire somebody on their way up and give them a chance. People that are motivated and hungry can achieve great things. Years ago I hired a colleague into his first software sales job. His most recent sales job? VP of Sales at a rapidly growing software company.