Session 5
Hiring and Talent
The Key that Makes or Costs You Millions!
Videos in Session 5:
5.1 Sales Superstars – Ego vs. Empathy
5.2 The Five Traits of Star Salespeople
5.3 How to Hire
5.4 Interviews – Part 1
5.5 Interviews – Part 2
5.6 How to Keep Top Producers
This Workbook is provided to support each of the areas described above. It is important that
you take notes as you watch each video and to follow and conduct the workshops provided
for you and your team, so you can begin implementing what you learn.
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1
5.1: Sales Superstars
Ego vs. Empathy
Areas covered in Session 5:
1. Discover the secret on how to recognize and hire top producers.
2. Find out the specific traits all superstars have.
3. Design a perfect ad to attract superstars.
4. Learn how to screen and interview for the best.
5. Utilize recruiting documents and example comp plans included.
Concepts to Customize for Any Position or Profession
 Traits of people who will be good at keeping business.
 Traits of people who will be good at winning business.
Sales Superstar
 Sales Superstars are relentless, clever, entertaining, persuasive, compelling, highly
competitive and a pleasure to deal with… for the client.
 Within months, they outsell the people have been your best for years.
 They perform well even when put in bad situations with poor tools.
 They learn quickly and soon put innovation improvements on everything.
 They succeed not matter what.
The Two Main Personality Traits that Drive Superstars are . . .
1. Empathy
2. Ego!! (sense of self)
Empathy in a Superstar
 They need to bond with others, so they should be very open in an interview.
 Adapt to every situation.
 Find something to like in everyone.
Ego/Strong in a Superstar
 Never gives up because it now about their performance.

Become even more determined when presented with a challenge.

But too much ego and you’ve got a difficult person who doesn’t play well with
others.

But for some environments, those types are perfect.
“The average bad hire costs a company $60,000 yet most hiring decisions are made
from an hour-long interview.”
Chet Holmes
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5.2: The Five Traits of Star Salespeople
They represent the top 4%
Five Traits of the Sales Superstar
1. Empathy (Sincere interests in helping clients succeed.)
2. Ego – Ego Strength (Rejection Armor) and Ego Drive Personal Ambition)
3. Superior Skill Sets
4. Market Knowledge (beyond product knowledge)
5. Training (always looking to improve themselves)
How to Find Superstars (review often before hiring!)
Research of hundreds of top sales people in all fields show that they have the ability
to bond and be friends with almost anyone. They have the drive, the passion and selfconfidence to “go-for-the-jugular”, to close the sale and get the order without being
fazed by rejection or obstacles along the way.
Ground Rules for Hiring Superstars
1. Look beyond a resume. You can’t hire a superstar from a resume. Age and
experience don’t matter. The psychological profile is everything!!
2. Design a challenging ad – must scare away the unsure and weak; must not ask
for resumes.
3. Perfect specific interview techniques. Personally screen all inquirers. When they
call act busy, sound gruff and be to the point. “So tell me, why do you think you
are a superstar?” Tell them your story and ask them to tell you why they should
be hired. Make them sell you. They can’t be intimidated!! If you can … “chew
them up and spit them out” they are not worth interviewing. They must be able
to take this treatment well if they are going to sell like champions, because it’s
part of sales. “Don’t interview them.” Instead use the ‘probe, relax, attack’
technique.
Get Them While You Can
 Often these “types” are frustrated in most companies, so they go out and form
their own companies and become extremely successful.
 Get them while they are young and keep challenging them, and paying them
and you can keep them a LONG time.
“Background is not important. It’s who they are not what they’ve done.”
Chet Holmes
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5.3: How to Hire
The Ad and Pre-Screening Techniques
A Superstar Sales Ad
SUPERSTARS ONLY, $50K TO $250K
Average will earn $50K, stars will earn $250K.
Don’t even call unless you are a truly awesome salesperson. You have a burning
desire to succeed, are extremely client oriented, highly motivated and never
say die. You develop deep and meaningful rapport with your clients, and
communicate with piercing persuasiveness. You believe you can be the best at
almost everything you do, and can prove it. Don’t call unless you fit this bill.
Excellent salary and commission structure, and great opportunity for upward
mobility. Build an empire within our fine progressive company (Type of company
here). We don’t hire backgrounds, we hire top producers.
Call Susan Martin at (phone number)
Call only between (you may want to limit the hours)
Personally Phone Screen All Applicants
 At this point in the process forget resumes.
 We line up all the candidates and then do them all at once – 5 minutes each.
On the Very First Screening Call
 Act busy, be gruff and to the point.
 Ask, “So tell me why you think you are a superstar?”
 Then tell them “I am not hearing superstar performer” and see how they respond.
 Make them sell you. Remember, you cannot intimidate the self-esteem of a
superstar.
Candidates Must Be:
 Confident when confronted with the third degree.
 Able to talk their way into an interview!
 If they are weak, get them off the phone quickly.
Don’t be put off by a little arrogance – top producers know they are good.
 Most superstars will intimidate you to some degree and may even appear a little
arrogant. That’s because they know they are really good. Don’t discount a
person because of this confidence. Put them to the test.
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If You Decide to Interview
 Ask them to write down 5 questions they would like to be asked during the
interview!
 Tell them they’ll be judged by the quality of their questions and that you want
questions that will show their best sides. The questions will tell you a lot about
them.
 Tell them to bring a resume to the interview.
“Make them sell you. Remember, you cannot intimidate
the self-esteem of a Superstar.”
Chet Holmes
NOTES:
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5.4: Interviews – Part 1
Step 1 and 2 – Relax and Probe
The Interview Process
 Relax

Probe

Attack
Relax at the Beginning of the Interview
 Be super friendly. Your goal is to get in rapport with the candidate. This will
prove invaluable later in the interview.
 Relax the candidate, let them see that you really like them.
Try to understand the candidates psyche and who they really are!!!
Tell the Candidate….
 “Don’t give me the standard answers; you don’t know what I’m looking for.”
 “Would you agree that it’s more important to know WHO you are than what
you’ve done?”
 “So the best thing for you is to …”
o Be honest, so we can discover if you’ll be happy here.
o Let me understand what shaped you.

Check with your HR department, but this allows you to now go deep…
Probe
 Seek deep understanding about their psyche and background.
 If they feel uncomfortable answering questions about their background and
themselves, they lack empathy. Top producers live to bond with others.
 Find if someone in their background gave them confidence (usually their
mother). Ask …”How would your mother describe you? ”
 If you were 5 years old and told your mother you want to be an actor, what
would your mother/father say to you?
a. Don’t do it.
b. Do it, but train for a job
c. Do it – you’ll be successful at whatever you do!!!!!
Determine if Background Contributed to Confidence
 If the candidate’s background contributed to their present levels of confidence.
Ask Questions Like:
1. What types of things in your childhood shaped who you are? How were you
raised?
2. Tell me about some of your biggest challenges in your life? (Not necessarily work
related) and how you dealt with them.
3. Tell me about the toughest sale you ever made? (Ask a lot of specifics, what
they said, details of the process, what was the ‘crunch’, how they closed it, etc).
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Look for Other Areas of Accomplishment
Top producers usually have some other area of discipline, physical skill or
accomplishment!!
Ask questions like:
1. Tell me about a time in your life when you surmounted difficult odds.
2. Tell me about the 3 or 4 things of which you are most proud? What are you most
proud of? Why?
3. Have you practiced or overachieved in any other area of discipline, like sports,
music, specialized knowledge, etc.?
4. Can you give me any other examples where your personal determination took
you through to winning?
Determine Their Ability to Bond with Others
 Top producers are eager to please and bond with others. Their life is an
open book. You can ask them anything and they’ll tell you.
Ask Questions Like:
 How would your best friend describe you?
 Of all the people you know, who has the most faith in you? Why?
 What are some of your best memories?
Determine Confidence
 Ask them to rate themselves from 1 - 10 in each of these 10 areas:
1. Ego drive-ambition
2. Ego strength-confidence
3. Ability to face rejection
4. Empathy – establishing rapport
5. Time Management
6. Presentation Skills
7. Strategic Thinking
8. Market knowledge
9. Self-improvement
10. Getting around gatekeepers
More Questions:
 Find out how the candidate measures themselves against the best.
1. Who’s the best salesperson you’ve ever met? Why?
2. If they named themselves – offer them the job.
3. If not, ask what’s the difference between them and you?
Ask Them to Rate Themselves in Their Ability
 Ask them to rate themselves on a 1 – 10 scale in the following areas related to
making a sale; 10 being the best salesperson they’ve ever known. Superstars will
rate themselves very highly.
1. Develop rapport
2. Qualify – find need
3. Build value
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4. Create desire
5. Overcome objections
6. Closing skills
7. Follow up skills
8. Presentation skills
9. Cold calling skills
10. Cold calling discipline
Determine Dedication and Desire for Improvement
The best are always trying to get better, to improve themselves. Ask …
 What was the last self-help book you ever read? Or tape you listened to? Or
which seminar you went to? (Look for people trained by Tony Robbins, Jay
Abraham, Jim Rohn and other marketers and sales stars.)
 Of all the people in the world today (past or present) who do you admire the
most?
 After you’ve bonded and got rapport with them: Ask about their resume
history.
 Why did you leave each of the last 3 positions?
 Why were you looking? What was bad about it?
 If you’ve left, were you unhappy? Why?
 What are your top 3 personal goals? What are you doing right now to achieve
them?
Determining Confidence, Perseverance and Judgment
 Tell me about a disappointment or disagreement with a boss and what
happened? Then what? And then?
 Name 2 weak points of your previous boss, how did you deal with this?
 How do you handle stress? What is your technique? Give me some recent
examples. (You are looking for how they think and you can ask deeper questions
to clarify.)
Probe on How They Think
 Name two times when a boss criticized you and why?
 What was the result? How did you deal with it?
Important: Don’t react to their answer negatively or react positively. Be nonemotive, but nice. If you react negatively to anything the person says they will
clam up and won’t tell you anymore. You must encourage them to tell you
more.
NOTES:
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5.5: Interviews – Part 2
The last most crucial part of the interview.
Step 3 - Attack
 This separates the men and women from the boys and the girls.
 You may find someone who you think is …
 Top communicator/producer
 Likeable
 Has a good sense of self
 Has good rapport skills
But the attack stage will tell you if they really believe in themselves. This is a prerequisite for a top producer!!! If they can’t take rejection and come back even
stronger, they will never be able to close the sale.
The Ultimate Interview Test
 Tactfully tell the candidate you don’t think they have the right stuff. Say …
“You seem like a nice person _____________, but I only have one opening
and I need a real superstar. While I am sure you’d do well in many other
endeavors, this is a very competitive business and I doubt your particular
skills and personality would hold up in this business!!!”
Look directly at them and watch them crumble.
The Attack Will Amaze You
 A number of candidates who looked great a minute ago will crumble when you
act like you doubt them.
 A top producer will NEVER crumble.
 A top producer will convince you that he or she can do any job even when you
“attack” and express doubts.
The Attack phase May Be Hard to Do
 You may feel mean and hard to “attack” the candidate’s ability.
 If you can convince them they don’t have what it takes, they are not a top
producer.
Test Their Presentation Skills
 You will find a great candidate.
 They will pass all these other tests.
 You will hire them.
 They will be great at getting appointments, and in the end….
 They Cannot Present to save their lives.
 So Test them Before you hire them. Let them go into a room and practice and
come back and present just a few panels of your core story.
Hire Only the Best and Watch Your Sales Skyrocket!!
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5.6: How to Keep Top Producers
You’ve hired them, now how do you keep them from starting their own
company?
Top Producers Are
 Original

Intelligent

Sure of Themselves

Generally Frustrated in Most Organizations

End Up Starting Their Own Successful Companies
Keeping Superstars
 Never say no to a Superstar. Redirect their energy or give them a few hurdles to
jump.
“Superstars will perform far better if you challenge their ego… But don’t forget to
compliment when they do something right.”
Chet Holmes
NOTES:
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Sample Comp Plans
# of
Assigned Acts.
per Client
Accounts
Year 1
Smaller Accounts (15-100 EE’s)
Large Accounts (100+ EE’s)
Total
net
Fees
Commission
@ 5%
40
$100,000
$360,000
$18,000
5
$1,000,000
$600,000
$30,000
45
$1,100,000
$960,000
$48,000
Base
$28,800
Total
$76,800
$1,152,000
$57,600
Year 2
Existing Clients
45
Smaller Accounts (15-100 EE’s)
30
$100,000
$360,000
$28,800
Large Accounts (100+ EE’s)
10
$1,000,000
$1,200,000
$96,000
85
$1,100,000
$2,712,000
$182,400
Base
$30,000
Total
$212,400
$2,983,200
$238,656
Total
Year 3
Existing Clients (20%)
85
Smaller Accounts (15-100 EE’s)
20
$100,000
$180,000
$18,000
Large Accounts (100+ EE’s)
10
$1,000,000
$900,000
$90,000
115
$1,100,000
$4,063,200
$346,656
Base
$50,000
Total
$396,656
Total
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Sample Comp Plans
Year 1
# of
Smaller Accounts (<$50,000)
12
$600,000
$102,000
Large Accounts (>$100,000)
5
$500,000
$85,000
17
$1,100,000
$187,000
Existing Clients
17
$1,100,000
$140,250
Smaller Accounts (<$50,000)
24
$1,200,000
$204,000
Large Accounts (>$100,000)
10
$1,000,000
$170,000
$4,400,000
$748,000
51
$7,700,000
$1,262,250
Existing Clients
51
$,7,700,000
$654,500
Smaller Accounts (<$50,000)
24
$1,200,000
$204,000
Large Accounts (>$100,000)
10
$1,000,000
$170,000
$13,200,000
$2,244,000
$23,100,000
$3,272,500
Total
Sales
Commission
Year 2
Sales reps
Total
Year 3
Sales reps
Total
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Workshop #1: List at least three initiatives that you would LOVE to put someone on
in which the reward could be great if they did a great job for you.
1.
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3.
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Session 5 Quiz: Hiring and Talent
Please Note: This test can be copied only for repeated usage, by the original program
purchaser, and not to be resold or used for any profit. Uses for the test: a) Used as a primer
before viewing the video, this test will prompt you to note the important points as they arise. b)
The test should be given after viewing the video to show how well you retained the information.
c) The test can be used as a vehicle to measure the comprehension of employees who view
the video (for current employee new-hires, or any employee who uses the video for self-study
or in a training situation). d) The test can be given every eleven weeks as a means for promoting
memorization (the minimum acceptable level of learning) of the material.
Name: _________________________________________________________________________
Score (6 points for each correct answer, 84 points = 100%): ________________________
1.
What are the 2 main traits that drive a Superstar?
2.
Superstars with too much empathy have a great ability to close.
True
False
3.
Superstar salespeople are mostly guarded in an interview.
True
False
4.
List the 3 rules for hiring superstars:
1. ___________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________
5. The psychological profile of a superstar is irrelevant. Direct experience is
everything.
True
False
6. It is better to sift through resumes than tie yourself up on the phone screening
through countless applicants.
True
False
7. If the candidate comes off as a little arrogant, you definitely do not have a top
producer.
True
False
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8. When you interview the candidates in person, your initial approach must be gruff,
in order to challenge them right from the start.
True
False
9. Superstars become uncomfortable when you ask them questions about their roots.
True
False
10. If a candidate is overdeveloped in some area (sports, music, or in some
specialized knowledge) it is usually a sign that they are an intellectual, not a
superstar.
True
False
11. True superstars are bored with self-help books.
True
False
12. What are the three main techniques used to interview superstars?
1. ___________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________
13. What are a few key questions you would ask a superstar to understand how they
think and how they have performed in the past?
___________________________________________________________________________________
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14. Motivating superstars requires constant challenge and occasional disapproval
from the supervisor.
True
False
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