“4” on the left side of the board.
Next I ask, “If I were to hire you, how many days per week should I expect you to work?” Hands usually shoot up quickly to that question. As I point at people whose hands go up, I get answers. The first is usually five. I repeat “five” and say, “So a typical five-day workweek, right?” Then I write that number on the board. I ask again, “Any others?” Someone usually says six, to which I say, “If I were just starting a new job like this, I would probably invest a bit more time until I got better at it, so yes, six. And then I’d write that on the board. “Any others?” I ask.
Pay close attention to the person who raises a hand and says seven. I’ve even heard eight, which of course is impossible as there are only seven days in a week. However, I say pay close attention to whoever says that, because she is attempting to send you a message. She is saying, pay attention to me. I’m the person you should hire. Likely that person is also the same one who said she could do seven or eight presentations in a day.
After getting all answers on the board I say, “While all the answers are possible”—and then smile—“except of course eight, can we agree on five, a normal workweek?” Again I usually get unanimous agreement that five days per week is more than fair. So then I write:
4 x 5 = 20
Next I ask, “Again, if we hired you, how many weeks per year should we expect you to work?” The answers come quicker by now and the first I get usually is forty-nine or fifty. Whatever the answer, I repeat it as before, and then write the answer on the board, then ask if there are any more and repeat the process. Once I have all answers I say, “Why don’t we really get generous here. Let’s assume you’ve decide to treat yourself to four weeks’ vacation per year because you’ve earned it. Wouldn’t that be great?” Again getting agreement I write:
20 x 48 = 960
“Okay,” I say, “one last question. As salespeople we know there are good, better, and best closing averages. If I were to hire you what kind of closing average would you think is doable or acceptable?” The answers start sometimes with 33 1/3 percent. I say, “Okay, one-third of the presentations.” I write “33 1/3” on the board. “Any others?” Someone says 25 percent. I’d say “Okay, one-fourth of the presentations,” and write “25 percent” on the board. “Any others?” Someone says 50 percent, or 60 percent. Whatever the answer is I say okay, then write that answer on the board. (Note: Once again pay attention to who is giving you the high responses. Is it the same person?)
Exhausting the answers, I say, “Why don’t we pick the overall sales average across all sectors of selling, which is 33 percent, one out of three. I should tell you, though, that all of the answers mentioned are possible depending on your personal skill level. And let me say that anyone who is hired who wants to be a top producer can take advantage of the training programs and help we provide to get our salespeople to the top closing percentages. But for this example we’ll take the low average of 33 percent in an effort to be very conservative. Fair enough?” Looking around the room I usually see nods of agreement again. So then I write:
960/3 = 320
“Nine hundred sixty divided by three equals three hundred twenty, is that right?
“Now here is where our company averages come into play.” I say. “Our average sale pays $250.” I write that number next “320.” “So multiplying 250 dollars times 320 equals …” I then ask if anyone has a calculator. Usually one or two people begin doing the math and someone shouts out the answer, $80,000. Just for fun, when someone says $80,000 I say, “Are you sure, that much?” When he or someone else acknowledges the amount I say “Okay,” and then I write the answer on the board.
“So to recap all of this, we agreed that four presentations a day, while some of you can do more, and working five days per week, while some of you may choose to work more, and then working only forty-eight weeks per year, and closing only 33 1/3 percent, which clearly can be beat by top salespeople, earns an individual $80,000 per year or more.
“If this sounds like an opportunity you are interested in pursuing further, please raise your hands so I can move you on to individual interviews. The rest of you can leave now and I thank you for coming in.”
If you’ve seeded the room with one or more members of your existing team, this is when they raise their hand and say, “I’m interested,” which makes it easier for others who are similarly interested to do likewise. It’s kind of like the first couple to get up and dance. Once they have, everyone else who wanted to, but were afraid to be first, gets up to dance.
Why use a group interview instead of a traditional one-on-one process?
The time required selling for my company and opportunities for advancement, then allowing time for the salesperson to sell himself to me, is easily thirty minutes or more. And since every interview could be with the best salesperson that has applied, I want to make sure I do a great job selling what I have to offer. I have to sell the opportunity with conviction, excitement, and enthusiasm.
Consider what will happen if you have to accomplish all of these key goals thirty times on the same day. How enthusiastic will you be the tenth, fifteenth, twentieth, or thirtieth time you tell your company’s story? And if your enthusiasm wanes, as I’m sure it will, what if your best candidate turns out to be the thirtieth interview? What are your chances of hiring that person when you are tired and not at your very best?
When you do a group interview you make your presentation one time. You can pour all of your emotion into that one presentation and then focus on the one-on-ones afterwards, which will likely be with fewer people—the ones who were sold by your presentation.
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