The Sales Apprentice: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, Part XI

It’s not the job interview from hell for nothing and tonight we saw why working for SAS might really be hell. Not for him the subtleties of interviewing but the in your face, I need to know all about your personal life crash, bang, whallop approach. With no task this week, sales training tips were a little more subtle than other weeks…

Maybe this approach will work? Perhaps we will we find out if any of the apprentices are actually drop dead shrewd? Or discover if Lohit really deserves to be there? Or uncover whether Katie really is as appalling as she seems? Maybe we’ll discover whether Kristina is the real deal, whether Simon has any substance and if Tre’s supercharged, self-confidence is accurate or misplaced?

Or maybe we won’t…

I thought last year that the interviews were aggressive and unrealistic. If anything they were worse this year with one of the interviewers being aggressive and intrusive to the point of rudeness.

Sales training tip: If you want to have a good interview then you need to give your potential employee some room to talk. You need to find out what motivates them and why. You need to plan and prepare questions.

Many of you who know me from sales training seminars will know that I believe that planning and preparation is critical for sales success. This is not because I am the process driven type. In fact, quite the opposite as I’m the sort who opens up the new DVD player and sets it up without even looking at the instructions! Until I get stuck at least!

For the last year in sales training I have talked about how in last year’s final of The Apprentice the candidates let themselves down by not even knowing what SAS’s company did. I did not expect the same basic sales mistake again. Amazingly, both Tre and Katie had to admit that they had done little or no research.

Sales training tip: Planning and preparation is critical to your sales success. Make sure that when you go on a sales meeting you know what you need to know. It is not uncommon for clients and prospects to ask, “What do you know about our company then?” Ouch! Even if they don’t ask this, lack of planning and preparation means that you have to ask basic information questions at the expense of more focused and targeted sales questions. This can lose you the client, the sales and your reputation.

SAS explains that today is going to be a gruelling interview process to see if the candidates are good enough to work for him and his companies. Three people will be fired. The interviews are going to be conducted by 3 of SAS’s friend and colleagues – Bordan Tkachuk, Claude Littner, and Paul Kemsley.

The interviews themselves were vaguely interesting however they jumped around so much it was very difficult to work out what really went on in them. There was also a heavy amount of bias as to who got airtime and for what. To say these interviews actually took hours, we really saw only a few minutes and these were all very “themed.”

Katie was asked about ruthlessness. When asked if she had ever lied or cheated she said yes to get someone else’s husband because she wanted him. She then said that this act was only an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 for ruthlessness.

Paul focused on the fact that she was a mum with two young kids. Katie said she wasn’t a “softly, softly mum” who does cooking and wears florals. She was a 90k a year, brand consultant who works for a global business and has a gold card. She does talk a good game! She also has some very strong stereotypes of people.

Sales training tip: Be careful of stereotyping your clients. Whilst it is important to do background research we need to be careful not to stereotype individuals. Once we pigeon hole people in this way it is very likely that this will effect every interaction with this person (or group). I have heard many salespeople stereotype prospects as tyre-kickers only to later discover that they bought off of one of their competitors that very day!

Lohit had a hard time from Claude. “Do you know the word humility? Would it apply to you? You talk about how you have achieved more than people twice your age. I am twice your age I would like to think I have achieved more than you.”

Paul asked what made him angry and he said when people don’t deliver. Paul asked if he had lost his temper yet and then accused him of being “middle of the road” and “boring”!

Next we saw Paul with Simon. ““Look at me when I am talking to you”

Sales training tip: Some people have a look to listen rule. This means that if you do not look at them when they are talking they do not think that you are paying attention. As a sales professional it is important that you start to notice visual information like this so that you can use it to your advantage. Spend some time in your sales meetings and sales training working on understanding people and how to communicate more effectively with a larger variety of people.

Simon was accused of having had a great education and starting in the city but then losing himself after getting made redundant. Do other companies let good people go he was asked? At least he was humble enough to concede that others had produced better results. You’ve gone from being an employee in Credit Suisse to being an entrepreneur and now you want to go back into employment. I don’t know where you are going said one of the interviewers.

With Tre we focused on whether he was running a company from his bedroom and whether he did or did not have 15 offices around the world. Was this his company or his family’s? Paul told Tre that he was confused and asked why he talks about success when the only success he had had was one that ended in disaster. He continued by telling Tre that he asked the questions and Tre should just answer!

We saw little of Kristina in interview other than to see her being asked a few simple questions.

Back in the boardroom SAS met with Paul, Claude and Bordan to give the following damning indictments…

Kristina.

They like her. She has “stickability” and is competent, hard working and fun. She’s a credible candidate who was pleasant and good on interview. She’s bright cheery and smiley. “I would employ her as a manager”, one stated. Borden thinks she could be a good asset.

Tre.

They have doubts about. When you get him in a corner he gets aggressive. He doesn’t like being questioned. But they acknowledge that he has been picking up contracts and has the best record of any of the candidates in the competition and that he has “been instrumental” in some of these wins.

Lohit.

Was the least credible candidate said one and has no leadership skills. Paul says he has no chance. Borden thinks the same. SAS says that he thinks Lohit doesn’t know what he is saying a lot of the time.

Simon.

Has all of the background and training. He is intelligent, articulate and well researched. Paul thinks he is a gross under achiever and asks what he has done. Borden says he could not get to grips with his career story and what happened. Claude says he thinks he has lost his way but that he would not write him off because he’s only young and given a chance he could succeed.

Katie.

Paul says she is bright and capable. You could give her a job to do and she would do it but she could upset people. She’s a powerful aggressive lady. Claude doesn’t agree – he thinks she is a showman and a great talker. But he doesn’t think she has a clue. Borden says the girl is ruthless. I don’t know if I saw the real Katie or if I could begin to understand anything but the charade. Paul thinks she is a go getter. They agree her motivation is all about winning.

Sales training tip: A core skill of selling is the ability to engage, communicate and present to others. Katie is a great presenter and communicator. Whatever you think of her other skills, experience or ability she has consistently made a strong case for herself when presenting and in the boardroom. Despite the fact that she has made several wrong business decisions she is still, at this late stage, seen as a key player because of her strengths in presenting herself well. As a salesperson you need all of the skills, knowledge and techniques and you need to be able to present yourself as confident, articulate and credible. By doing regular sales training you can ensure that you not only have the right sales skills but also the right interpersonal skills too.

SAS calls our famous five to the boardroom. He starts by talking to Kristina and asks her if she would move house to get the job. She says she would. He asks if she is sure. She says, “Absolutely positive”.

Sales training tip: As a salesperson people will often lie to you or be economical with the truth. You need to learn to listen beyond what they say and focus in on the way that they say it as well. Kristina absolutely meant what she said – you could hear it in her pace, pitch and tone.

SAS turned on Katie and took a similar tack with his questions. She said she would move. He asked if it was a simple as that. She said that “it can be.”

Sales training tip: Listen to language. People tell you what you need to know but we often ignore it, hearing instead what we want to hear. Not only did Katie not answer positively but her words were vague and non committal. “It can be that easy”. That is never a yes.

“This is it I am going to pick the two finalists. Three people are going. Lohit I am trying to search what you are going to do for me. I can’t see it. Lohit you are a very nice fine fellow. I want to put you out of your misery. You’re fired.”

And there were four.

SAS turned his attention back to Katie…

Ed. Now I’m with Claude. She has made bad business decisions, switched people off and has a nasty streak. She is a good presenter and can sell herself but that’s it for me. Surely she is about to go…

Katie, you’re in the final!

Amazing. He obviously sees something I haven’t. But there’s something strange going on now. Her cheeks are a strange pink colour. There is no joy on her face. She is looking down. Is she embarrassed? Upset? Angry? She looks at him very, very strangely.

“Tre you have something. But my colleagues find that you have difficulty in accepting criticism. They find you difficult and I have to say that they are spot on because I find that also. I think you need to grow up and be a little less defensive. I cannot see you slotting into the organisation. Tre you’re fired.”

SAS turns back to Katie. You don’t look happy. She says that she hasn’t planned for this and that she needs to speak to her parents and support network before moving. They have a conversation and she bows out of the competition.

What a surprise (not). She’s been playing them all along.

SAS says that what we saw there was someone who wasn’t going to give me the commitment. He congratulates his finalists Kristina and Simon.

Nick’s closing words about Katie say it all, “She’s a game player. That’s what she is, a game player.”

So what sales training tips do we learn from tonight’s episode…

Sales training tip 1: Research! Research! Research!

Whether you are visiting a client or interviewing a new salesperson you need to do your research. Planning and preparation are what separate professionals from amateurs. If you want to get more business then you need to do your prep on your prospects. If you want to get that great sales job or promotion you need to do your research. If you want to land good salespeople for your sales teams you need to plan your interview.

Sales training tip 2: Know the personalities involved

Research the individuals that you are selling to. What are they like? What do they like? How are they going to be? We saw Paul last year, we knew he was direct. The apprentices should have been much more well prepared.

Sales training tip 3: Only sell to reality

Clients will often say one thing to you when they mean another. They do this for all sorts of reasons… Maybe they just want to expedite the sales process. Maybe they don’t trust you. Perhaps they just don’t want to share with you. No matter. Whatever the reasons, your role is to open up your communication channels and seek out the real meaning and intent behind their communication. You will only make sales if you sell to reality.