Field Notes
Where Sales Strategy Meets People Strategy
Practical, research-backed lessons on hiring salespeople and sales leaders, paying them well, and keeping the good ones.
Two Good Finalists, One Job: How to Choose Between Sales Candidates
When two sales finalists both clear the bar, gut feel usually picks the one you liked most. Here's a fairer way to break the tie, built on what the research says about how hiring decisions go wrong.
How to Read a Sales Assessment Report Without Getting Fooled
A sales assessment report isn't a grade. Here's what the scores mean, what they don't, and why the most useful comparison is your own best people.
Reference Checks That Actually Tell You Something About a Sales Hire
"Would you rehire them?" gets you a polite yes and nothing else. Here's how to run reference checks for a sales hire that turn up facts, not compliments.
How to Evaluate Interview Candidates for a Sales Role
You probably decided in the first minute. The research says that impression sticks for weeks. Here's how to score sales candidates on what they can do instead.
Structured Interviews for Sales Roles: Why They Work and How to Run One
The friendly chat feels like a good interview. The research says a structured one predicts performance far better. Here's how to build one for a sales hire.
Psychometric Testing for Sales: What Actually Predicts Performance
Psychometric testing for sales candidates only works if you use the right tools. Learn why standard personality tests fail and what actually predicts revenue.
Why Hiring on Gut Feeling Is the Riskiest Move in Sales Recruiting
The candidate who lit up the room is the one your instinct is worst at judging, and in sales that read is worse than useless. Here is what the research on gut-feel hiring actually shows, and the process that beats it.