Many sales and marketing managers are familiar with the 80/20 principle – the idea that 20 percent of your staff are “superstars” responsible for 80 percent of your sales, while the remaining 80 percent of your staff are turning in the last 20 percent of your sales.

While these numbers might not exactly match your department’s output, the lesson remains: A few top performers often carry the rest of the mediocre herd. While it’s tempting to rely on the top talent quarter after quarter, the fact is that the mediocre performers are costing your company more than you can afford to lose.

How Does Mediocre Talent Get Hired?

There are three main reasons that companies continue hiring mediocre talent:

• They don’t assess candidate potential effectively, so they have no idea what to expect from the actual candidate.
• They “go with their gut” and trust the interview to tell them everything they need to know.
• They don’t check the data, so they don’t know which sales staff are actually generating the most sales, customers, or repeat business.

Mediocre Implementation = Mediocre Results

Even when a good candidate accepts the offer, he or she may turn mediocre on one or more projects. Often, this happens when the connection between an idea – offering a new product, launching a new sales tracking system, or taking another step to boost sales – and its implementation is lacking.

To boost the quality of the people you have, make sure every new idea has the “follow-through” to be put into action. Then, assess your staff. Who is taking off with the new idea, and who is still floundering in the old methods?

How to Stop Hiring Stale Talent

To make sure you find the best sales talent available going forward:

• Talk to your best talent. Your A-players can often provide referrals to similar superstars. They can also tell you much about their own approach and what it takes to succeed at what they do.
• Look at the data. Examine a candidate’s sales record and match the candidate’s traits and approach to the company’s culture and sales methods for the best results.
• Talk to a recruiter. Staffing firms that specialize in placing sales staff in your industry can help you choose the best talent at the best times.

Don’t waste your valuable money and resources on mediocre talent. At SMR Group, we specialize in connecting companies to the best marketing and sales talent in the medical device, biotech, and pharmaceutical industries. Contact us today to start hiring the superstars you deserve!