While other sectors have been hit hard during the current economic climate, Partners are finding that technology solutions are selling better than ever. Territories are expanding so rapidly that many Partners are scrambling just to keep up with recruiting, hiring and training sales talent. A good problem to have? Perhaps. But if this is your problem, you need a good answer.
In the past, only two options were available to you for recruiting, hiring and training sales talent. Neither was very good:
In-house Recruiting – Using the “friends and family network” is the ultimate in-house approach to finding sales talent. With this approach, you are hoping that sooner or later somebody says, “Hey, I know a guy with a sales background.” So you take time to interview, hire and train him, only to find that he lacked the personal power to sell. So you go the slightly less old-fashioned route, and you assign somebody from your human resources team to find candidates on job sites (Monster, CareerBuilder, HotJobs and so on) or place notices in the local paper and other publications, and then you wait for the résumés to come in. As a last resort, you look on job postings and pay subscription fees to download résumés.
Does this approach work? Yes, if you are looking for a slow grind with haphazard results. Otherwise, the success rate is just too low, unless you have the time, expertise, relationships and proper training program to support your hires. Also, there are direct and intangible costs associated with bringing on a full-time recruiter or taking people away from their other jobs. And finally, you probably have too little objectivity in understanding what you really need, can afford or can support. Your strength is implementing technology solutions, not business growth.
Outsource Recruiting – Another traditional approach is retaining a recruiter/headhunter and telling him/her, “I need an experienced, senior sales person.” Unfortunately, this approach also drains your time, energy, money, resources and focus. At a minimum, headhunters will pass résumés along through the unique channels that are available to them. At a maximum, they may do some vetting of the candidates before passing them along. But they do not tend to be configured to help you determine what you really need. Nor is it in their business model to provide the structure, mentoring and monitoring after the placement to ensure that your new hires succeed. Besides, it’s no secret where they are going to get them: they will lure them away from other Partners. But ask yourself, once such an employee comes to work for you, what are the chances that he or she won’t leave for a better offer six months later? Given the high upfront placement cost (20 to 35 percent of the first year’s salary) and the fact that most traditional recruiters are not in the business of ensuring employee retention, outsourcing is not a viable option.
If traditional in-house recruiting efforts don’t work, and neither does traditional outsourcing, what can you do?
Stop being traditional.
Be innovative instead. Diversify your recruiting efforts by turning your attention to the new face of Partner sales: The Truby™.
What’s a Truby?
Years ago, one of our Partners, Gib Mason, found that businesses can add or replace sales production – at a significantly lower upfront investment – by using what he trademarked a “Truby”.
A Truby is a young man or woman with a high degree of energy and ambition, regardless of whether his/her focus is scattered or misdirected. Trubys are so determined that they are willing to be rejected over and over again. With no previous experience, Trubys do not know what they supposedly cannot do. The word “no” is only temporary to Trubys.
We have had the good fortune to place several Truby salespeople with Microsoft Partners throughout the Middle Atlantic states with very satisfactory results. In one recent example, a team of five Trubys was able to generate equal the production of the five sales vice presidents they replaced, after just 12 months, at 45 percent of the cost. In another example, three Trubys working together on a prospecting campaign were able to create one new six-figure client per week in just the first two weeks of the program.
Expect the Unexpected
Our experience with these tenacious young professionals teaches us to be constantly on the lookout for Trubys. We found that Trubys will surprise you. Successful Trubys come in all shapes and sizes, some with very little sales experience, some with up to two years. College educated, Trubys are team players, are trained to fit into the company’s culture and are ready to learn. They know they must act as a team and function as a team because they will be successful or unsuccessful as a team.
Who Needs a Truby?
Any Partner looking to attract young talent, and any Partner who can’t keep up with the need to retain or replace sales talent, needs a Truby. A Truby Program provides a system for infusing well-trained young sales talent into your organization in such a way that the established sales team benefits from the buzz the program creates. Well-hired, well-trained Trubys are the perfect business solution for growing companies that want to place their young people on a career path to becoming future sales superstars.
The Benefits of a Truby Program
The most conspicuous beneficiaries of a Truby Program are the Trubys themselves. They benefit by being put in a situation where they can win. We are not talking about giving them a pat on the back and a little training, and then telling them to go figure it out. Nor are we talking about putting them in an environment with a lot of tenured folks where they feel intimidated and face a large barrier to entry. No, what we recommend is to place Trubys together with colleagues and peers, giving them a richer environment to develop quicker. Creating a “Truby Zone” creates immediate community that celebrates friendly competition on a level playing field.
But for several reasons, the true beneficiary of the Truby Program is the Partner. First, Trubys give you a strategic advantage. In terms of hard and soft dollars, you are lowering your investment in human capital – but raising the productivity. The upside is enormous because Trubys will stay for years when the right environment and right structure are in place, including a career path within the organization. Second, Trubys raise the bar for the rest of the organization. The Truby Program demonstrates that any competent person can be a very productive member of the company from day one. It also speaks to the importance of structuring, training, mentoring and developing all people in the organization. Finally, Trubys create a buzz in the company. When physically placed where they can hear, see and smell each other, Trubys emanate an energy that affects the entire company. Everybody works more collaboratively, more productively and with more energy.
Going Forward with Truby Enthusiasm
Implementing a Truby Program is a trade-off. You give up experience for enthusiasm and efficiency. Why is enthusiasm necessary? Simple: because a lot of momentum is based on raw emotion. The excitement generated by your Truby Program will trigger a cultural shift. It’s designed to be a shock to the company, especially when the Trubys start succeeding.
Rapid growth is a shock to the system anyway. It is no longer possible to do things the same way – or with the same types of people. Diversify your sales force by adding well-trained young sales talent, and benefit from the increased energy, increased focus and ultimately, increased revenue.
Jason Pappas and Joe Mechlinski are co-founders and principals of EntreQuest, an organization focused on growing Microsoft Partner companies’ sales revenue through sales training, consulting and hiring programs. To learn more, visit www.entrequest.com.
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