There’re only 2 ways.
You either already know they’re good or you put in the time and effort verifying them yourself beyond what an agency will do.
(Selling oneself in interviews is not the same as selling successfully and consistently out in the marketplace.)
You put in time, effort and leg work to buy a car, for example.
A mediocre salesperson will cost you so much more than a car.
I know how many CEOs, GMs and Sales Managers are utterly frustrated that their salespeople are causing the company to miss out on opportunities.
How To Do It
1. Get them to show you how they make appointments and how they talk when they meet a potential client for the first time.
Not “what” they would say, but to imagine you’re the gatekeeper, the pa, the potential client.
The moment they start to “describe” what they’d say, stop them. They are to imagine you’re the potential client and roleplay it out with you.
I once had an applicant tell me “no, I’m not a performing monkey” so I ended the interview.
For those who’ll say that’s very harsh of me, understand this, this is the companys revenue function we’re talking about.
The interview is a serious interaction. It can still be friendly and relatively relaxed, but it’s a business conversation.
If a BDM can’t cope with that and show you, you’ll regret it.
Even high-end, Key Account Managers, if there’s a requirement to bring in new business, put them through their paces yourself (employment agents don’t) otherwise you’ll have a “relationship” manager, but no new business. Lots of “busy”, but no new business.
Whenever I’ve done them, I’ve let the applicant know there’s nothing they can do that I haven’t done worse at some point.
I don’t care about ums and ahs or if they have to start again.
I’m interested in their conversation structure. From that I can tell if they think and engage as a business person and have positive reasons for applying or if they’re not making it in their current / previous job.
2. If they’ve made the short-list, then verify for yourself.
Not just their managers but past clients. I’ve done it for years and no one minds if you do it properly.
it’s a brief (usually), valid conversation businesses person to businesses person.
You don’t have time? Make time. Your company’s revenue is your responsibility.
Speak to referees, employers and their clients yourself. You need to hear their tone and ask your own questions to work out if they’re sorry or glad that they moved on.
And what are their habits? Are they great consistently or do they have extended low periods? You’re no to be their therapist.
Considering how much money in potential sales your company will miss out on over a year with a “do just enough to get by” person in your revenue function, you need to take hiring one as seriously as a merger.
Rather than getting people like me in to fix them, get good ones in the first place.