Advanced Sales Hiring System

How to Increase your Company’s
Sales Hiring Success Rate to 90%
T he
A d v a n c e d Hi r i n g
Sy stem
M an u al
222 W 21st Street Ste F302
Norfolk, VA 23517
Telephone: 800-660-7313
Outside US 703-229
Fax: 603-308-8364
www.advancedhiring.com
Copyright 8 2009 Advanced Hiring System Corp.. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form .1
Thank You!!
Thank you for your decision to use The AAddvvaanncceedd H
Hiirriinngg SSyysstteem
m. You have just taken a giant
step toward making the process of hiring a winning sales staff easier and more manageable!
As a sales manager for years, I had struggled with hiring quality salespeople -- finding
candidates, interviewing them, selecting the ones I wanted -- and then praying! That’s right!
Praying that the candidates I selected were really going to be able to do the job!
When I started Radio Profits Corporation I was faced with the challenge of working with sales
managers to hire salespeople in hundreds of radio stations across the U.S., U.K. and Germany.
The success of the salespeople we hired would mean either success or failure for our company.
We worked with Advanced Hiring System as a result of this challenge and over time have
demonstrated their system worked better than anything else out there.
In fact, we’ve tracked our results over 12+ years. And I’m able to report to you that we beat
station’s traditional hiring strategies by 217%!
The one chronic problem we've all had is hiring sales talent. Humbly, with the introduction of
The A
Addvvaanncceedd H
m, that is about to change!
Our mission in creating The AAddvvaanncceedd H

m is to provide sales managers with an easy
to follow, step-by-step way to recruit, interview and select salespeople.
Working in partnership with some of the sales industry’s top sales trainers, we have analyzed the
“styles” and “values” of over 50 of the most successful salespeople. As well, we've studied over
200 of the less successful salespeople, and so we now know what makes a great salesperson
"tick". And that means that we can virtually guarantee that by following our system, you'll hire
quality salespeople every time!
We're excited about this product and believe that you'll be very pleased with the results you'll
attain. Please call us at 1-800-660-7313 or outside the US, 001-703-229-4224 after you've started
using the system or to answer any questions you might have.
A Philosophy of Hiring Salespeople
Ask any manager, “What’s the toughest job you face in running your business?” Invariably the
answer is “Hiring quality salespeople!”
Hiring salespeople is a tough job in any business, but its toughest when we have more competition.
With the globalization of the world economy, competition is increasing for everyone.
Sales is a difficult job for most people to accomplish. It requires a special ability to find a qualified
prospect, create desire in that prospect and “close” the transaction. And on top of that, in many
industries, salespeople are not paid well until they start to make a lot of sales, which is usually 6
months to a year down the road.
Over the last few years, quality sales training aids -- tape series and seminars -- have begun to gain
acceptance and support from sales management.
But as important as training is, you can't polish a brick! It doesn’t become shiny; it
just becomes a smaller brick.
The average tenure of all salespeople across all industries is 1.1 years. It takes a rare type of person
to succeed in sales. Most people’s brains simply can't grasp the skills necessary to sell, so it's crucial
that you increase your probability of success by getting the right type of person in the job to start
with!
So let’s think about the process of hiring salespeople...
First of all, most companies make the mistake of being reactive and not proactive in the hiring
process. They generally wait until there's an opening in the sales staff, and then wonder how they're
going to fill the position this time.
Right away the clock's ticking. The company's losing money every day that position is open, so the
manager's "under the gun" from the very beginning.
The next problem is that most companies have no systematic method of attracting quality candidates.
They'll run some ads. Maybe call up some previous candidates. Try to steal somebody from the
competition. Go to the Rotary Club and shake hands. Usually there's no plan, and the efforts are
haphazard.
Sometimes this works, but it's hard to duplicate what did work the next time there's an opening.
That's why it's essential that you have a consistent hiring program to follow – an indispensable
system that will generate and identify good candidates for your staff.
As a sales manager charged with the responsibility of hiring salespeople, your job is to recruit, train
and motivate your company’s sales team. If you look at recruiting someone to join your team as
“selling” someone on coming to work in your sales department, then you want to have as many
“prospects” as you can find.
In the past, the challenge has been that having a lot of candidates meant having to interview (and re-
interview) a lot of candidates. And that meant a bigger time investment than you could usually
afford to make.
Now, however, using the profiling tests that are a part of the A
Addvvaanncceedd H
m , you can
quickly “screen out” those candidates that have the wrong values and “personality type.” You will
only concentrate your efforts on those people worth taking the time to interview personally.
A word on personality testing is in order here before we go on... How accurate is this testing and
does it miss good candidates? The answer is that in testing the top salespeople in our test
companies, we've found virtually 95% confirmation of our model. If you want to bet on the 5%, I'd
love to get together with you for an evening of poker!
So, in order to find the most effective salespeople you possibly can, use every means at your
disposal to look at as many prospects as possible. Next, use a values and personality test to find the
candidates that are worth taking the time to interview personally. Finally, interview the candidates
that passed your screening process.
Now that you have a system to recruit and select salespeople, when do you use it?
We believe that you should constantly and proactively recruit salespeople with this system – all the
time.
Things change in people’s lives and your current sales staff is ultimately going to leave. Don't wait
until they give you their two-week notice to start recruiting! Set up a monthly, semi-monthly or
quarterly recruiting system, so that you'll always have some “fillies” in your stable ready to hit the
pavement for you. Put in your ads for your on-air recruitment ads with a TFN end date. Do the
same with your newspaper ad.
It is inconceivable that a company would not have a production system to produce their product. As
sales manager, having an ongoing system to recruit and select new sales talent makes your job easier
and increases the chances of being successful.
Use an ongoing recruiting schedule whether you have staff openings or not. Life is a “moving
parade” and good sales talent will become available in your market on a periodic basis. By having an
ongoing recruiting effort, you are more likely to consistently staff your sales department with high
quality salespeople.
You know the value to you and your company of having a consistently well-staffed sales department.
We're confident you'll be thrilled with The A
Addvvaanncceedd H
m, and that it will help you get
more of what you want from your efforts.
Screening Your Candidates

As you know by now, one of the great benefits of our hiring system is that it helps you go through
a large number of candidates in a short period of time, thus saving your time while increasing
your probability of hiring an excellent producer.
In order to help you "wade through" the pile of applications, we have a number of filtering
mechanisms in place. They are:
1. The ads included in the system. These are tested and proven, and are designed to
appeal only to people with the personality types who are likely to be successful in
sales.
2. The ValuesMatrix. These help you identify those candidates who have good money or
power values. Good salespeople are very fond of money and are willing to do the
tough work of sales to get it.
2. The Style Analysis. These help you identify those most suited of the candidates
who've made it this far. They're completely objective and give you a basis of
comparison between candidates who appear good "on the surface".
3. The 4 Interviews. Very scripted interviews allow you to see how each applicant
handles the same questions.
Obviously, you'll want to follow normal good hiring practices. If you're doing background
checks on candidates already, please continue to use them. Naturally, check with your legal
counsel if you have any questions about the appropriate way to do these.
How to Determine Your Final Candidates
(Be sure to read the following section "Selecting and Managing Your New Salesperson" for more
information.)
We recommend that you narrow down your pool of candidates following the following steps.
Only interview those people who really "have what it takes". This will save you time and money!
Of course, we encourage compliance with all EEOC and legal guidelines, and these suggestions
are made within the context of those guidelines.
1. Review their ValuesMatrix Score. When you input the test scores into the web
interface, you'll receive an email. The email will say “Run Style Test” or “Do Not Run
Style Test.” Nothing could be easier.
2. Run the Style Analysis profile on the candidates who “pass” the ValuesMatrix. Use
the criteria described in the report called, "Reading the Graphs" to help you determine
your best candidates.
3. Examine their resume or application. Is there anything there that would eliminate
them from consideration? Primarily look at what their work history is. Look for job
stability, however, don’t eliminate a candidate solely on a poorly prepared resume.
4. Interview the best remaining candidates. Based on your interview (and any
reference/background checks), you should be ready to make a hiring decision.
Candidates who've passed all of these filtering steps should have the proper
background, personality type, and values system, and should be great prospects to join
your sales team!
Selecting and Managing
Your New Salesperson
How to Understand and Motivate Different Personality Types
Introduction
One of the key ingredients of the AAddvvaanncceedd H

m is the Values and Style Analysis
testing used to help you identify your final candidates.
Not only are these profiles useful in candidate selection, they also are very valuable tools to help
you manage your salesperson on an ongoing basis. When you know the right "buttons" to push
every single time, you'll be better prepared to help this person be their very best.
In particular, we use two specific profiles: the ValuesMatrix(TM) and Style. The
ValuesMatrix(TM) determines a person's key values, their motivators. The Style Analysis offers
information about a person's basic personality type. That is, what kind of person they are. It
helps identify if a person is suited to do a particular type of work. By combining these two
profiles, you'll know what type of person you have, and what "turns them on." This combination
is incredibly powerful!
Important Note: Remember to screen your pool of candidates using the ValuesMatrix(TM)
FIRST, and then using the Style Analysis (DISC profile). A candidate with poor money or power
values will have a very difficult time, even if they have a good DISC profile.
ValuesMatrix(TM)
Simply stated, the ValuesMatrix(TM) measures a person's motivating forces. Specifically, it

measures six motivators:
THEORETICAL - How much is the person's desire to acquire knowledge, for knowledge's
sake.
FINANCIAL - How money motivated the person is, and how much they desire the
things that money can buy.
AESTHETICS - How much the person likes the "beautiful" things in life.
SOCIAL - How much the person feels the need to be liked and accepted by others.
POWER - How much the person likes power, and the rewards of power.
COMPLIANCE - How much the person believes in the importance of rules and
regulations.
How the Test is Scored
Although the test is remarkably simple, don't let that fool you! It's extremely useful in evaluating
your potential candidates.
Go online and input the selections for each candidate – the online tool will email you the results
within minutes.
Because the candidates rank their responses in a motivator from 1-6 – with 1 being the most
important, the lower their total in a motivator, the more important that motivator is to them.
Another factor is how the candidate ranks these motivators. This is called their Hierarchy of
Values.
How to Interpret and Use the Test

Please refer to the descriptions at the beginning of this section of the different values measured.
The following comments are intended to be a guide to help you in understanding your candidates.
Because we're dealing with human beings, there are no 100% absolutes; regardless, you'll find
that having objective criteria in selecting salespeople will help you tremendously, and give you
much more confidence in making your hiring decisions!
We find the best salespeople love money and like people. They also like to be in control. We
find the best performers highest scores come in the Money/Financial and Power/Political
categories mentioned above. If you find a salesperson with a high Money/Financial and high
Power/Political values along with high D, high I Style Analysis DISC profile, chances are that
you have a star salesperson!
The high Money/Financial scorer will be highly motivated by commissions and bonuses. They
want the good things in life. Pay them well when they perform well, and they'll mentally link
making sales to getting what they want. To motivate this person, frequently remind them how
much money they'll make when they do well, and show them examples of these rewards.
The high Power/Political scorer likes to be in charge. They want to be in control; to be #1. They
thrive on recognition. Motivate this type by helping them see that this is "their business", and
this is their vehicle to make their mark in the world. They'll love having a title. Make a big deal
about them in public when they do well.
Sometimes you'll find candidates with great DISC tests, and have Social as their top value. Be
careful in this case. This type of person will usually make lots of friends, but few sales.
Everyone will tell you they do a great job representing your company. They'll always have lots
of irons in the fire; plenty of prospects who are going to buy. They just never do!
A person with a very high Social score and lower Money/Financial score has a need to be liked.
A salesperson must build rapport with their prospect to sell them, and this person will be great at
that. The salesperson must then risk that rapport when they ask the prospect to buy. They risk it
because the prospect may say "no"; that is, reject the salesperson's offer to buy.
The high Social salesperson will tend to take that rejection too personally, because of their need
to be liked. Rather than take the chance of being rejected, they never get around to asking the
prospect to buy. They figure if they make a friend, and do a good job presenting, the prospect
will get around to asking them how they can buy. Unfortunately, this doesn't work.
The Style Analysis (DISC)
The accuracy of the Style Analysis is phenomenal. Virtually everyone who takes this test and
then reads their report is amazed! The test is simple, and yet generates a highly detailed written
report that includes tips for managing and motivating.
The test involves 24 sets of four words. Within each set of four, the applicant marks the adjective
that is "MOST" like them, and the one that is "LEAST" like them. Highly sophisticated computer
software then creates the Style Analysis report using these responses.
At the end of each report are two graphs, measuring four personality components, called DISC.
Use these graphs for selection and to guide your behavior in working with your salesperson. An
understanding of the graphs and reading the written text will help you tremendously in managing
your new person. The rest of this section will concentrate on these graphs. You may find it
especially informative to look at the example graphs in this section as you read along.
The first graph, the "Adapted Style", shows an individual's personality on the job, as they see
themselves. If the person hasn't previously done this type of work, it's usually not as meaningful
for obvious reasons. If they have sold before, of course it means more.
The second graph, the "Natural Style", tells you about who they are “deep down inside”. For
someone who has been on the job for awhile, and so their "Adapted Style" graph is accurate, it's
useful to compare the two graphs. If they're similar, then you know the person is doing work that
they're naturally suited for, and the chances are that they enjoy their work and perform well.
If their two graphs are very different, it indicates that they perceive it's necessary to change their
behavior to produce on the job. They may or may not be doing as well, and the possibility exists
that they feel more stress than normal on the job.
DISC
The graphs measure four components, called DISC. This is an acronym for the following
descriptive adjectives:
DOMINANCE - How you approach problems and deal with challenges.

INFLUENCING - How you interact with and attempt to influence people.
STEADINESS - How you respond to change and levels of activity.
CONFORMING - How you respond to rules and regulations set by others.
Note that D sometimes is referred to as "DRIVE"; S as "STABILITY"; and C as

"COMPLIANCE".
On a normal graph, scores for two of these four components should be relatively higher than the
other two. If all four scores are similar (thus making a straight line graph), then the respondent
has either not been truthful in responding to the profile, or may have emotional problems.
As of this writing, our company has analyzed thousands of profiles and has worked with hundreds
of salespeople. This experience base has helped us develop several "rules" in hiring the best
salespeople:
- Typically the best salespeople highest two scores are D and I (and thus low S, low C).
- If the highest score is a C, this person should not be in sales. They will likely be miserable on
the job and will probably fail (especially if they have a low D too).
- A high S, high C (low D, low I) will have an extremely difficult time. Avoid hiring this
profile.
- A high S will tend to start more slowly, and may have difficulty adapting to change.
- Although there are exceptions to the rules, it's usually a mistake to think your exception will
make it.
Reading the Graphs
A
Addvvaanncceedd H
m makes extensive use of graphs in selection candidates.. See the Manual
called Reading the Graphs . It is located on the A Addvvaanncceedd H
m Members Area of the
web.
How To Manage the Various Types
This section will discuss the four components (DISC), and how you should work with a
salesperson with these characteristics.
The D - Dominance
The higher a person scores in the D category, the more determined and aggressive that person is
in responding to challenges. A high D is usually very ambitious, driven, aggressive and forceful.
They can be independent and stubborn, and are extremely competitive.
The high D's respond best to contests, recognition, and being challenged. They'll literally do
whatever it takes to succeed and to be #1, and thus can be top performers. When they are feeling
good, you'll find them easy to motivate. You'll find they are often out for themselves more, and
less a team player. Make sure they make a lot of money only when they do well, and they
should work hard for you.
If a high D is struggling, typically their response is to make more calls. They will tend to become
very frustrated when they're in a slump. As a result, they'll often put too much pressure on
themselves, and this can compound the problem. And make sure they're not inadvertently putting
too much pressure on their prospects.
When your high D salesperson is having difficulty (assuming they are doing the work), your best
bet is usually to help them relax. Remind them "they're the best", and that you believe in them.
More pressure from you at this point won't help - they're already putting too much on themselves.
A low D will be much less aggressive and more of a team player. While a high D will be
argumentative if they're upset, a low D will seek an amiable solution. This person will be more
likely to follow company rules and be less forceful.
You'll need to spend more time motivating a low D. You'll need to make sure they have a daily
call goal, and that they follow it. If they're not doing well, they'll tend to prospect less, and thus
make it more difficult to snap out of a slump. Pump them up regularly; tell them you're glad
they're "on the team".
A low D will not respond as well to challenges and contests. They may think they're silly, or feel
intimidated by them. This person is less of a risk-taker, and may be more security conscious.
The I - Influencing
The I measures the way that a person attempts to persuade and influence others. High I's are
typically very warm, outgoing, trusting people. They often have many friends. These people are
talkative, charismatic, friendly, and enthusiastic. They're often very diplomatic and tactful.
Use a warm approach to managing a high I. If this person feels that you care about them and
their needs, they'll be very loyal and hardworking. If you take a dictatorial approach, you'll find
your low I will be unhappy, unfulfilled and moody.
Give a high I the freedom to chat, within reason. This person wants to have fun, be part of the
team, and be around others. Too much freedom here, though, is detrimental; they'll make more
friends than sales. Make sure they have a call goal, and give them plenty of strokes when they
perform well.
Also keep an eye on this person's call report. If they have many lengthy calls that don't become
sales, it means they're busy making friends again.
A low I will usually have a very difficult time. By nature, this person has difficulty making the
connection with the prospect. They may say the right words, but just can't seem to build rapport
with their prospects. They just don't have the verbal skills or personal charisma.
If you must hire a low I, make sure they have a very high D. This drive will help them overcome
their weakness in the influencing category. They'll make more calls than everyone else and will
push, push, push. Sometimes they'll make it; most of the time they won't. And they'll be very
unhappy in the process. Generally it's best to avoid hiring low I's to join your staff.
The S - Steadiness
The S score measures a person's ability to change. High S people like routine and dislike change.
These people are patient, predictable, steady and reliable.
You can count on a high S to show up to work every day. They'll never get too high or too low.
You may find they have difficulty at first because they do not adapt quickly to new situations.
If your high S does make it, they'll be with you a long time. Since they don't like change, they
won't want to change jobs either. Understand when they hit their comfort level, they're not going
to ever do much more than that. If you're not satisfied with that level of performance, you'd
better replace them; they're not going to change.
When managing your high S, you'll need to stay on top of them early, and push them to develop
the right habits. They'll want to settle into a routine as soon as possible, and if you don't ensure
they develop good habits, they'll develop bad ones. And it'll be virtually impossible to change
them. It's vital that you give your new salesperson lots of attention early regardless of their style,
and it's life or death in this job for a high S!
You'll find a high S will often pick one approach and stay with it forever, whether or not it works!
This can be detrimental if they stay with a dead package too long, or if they're reluctant to
change to a new package that should sell like hotcakes. You can really help them in this respect
by monitoring their activity, and being aware of what else they could be selling.
Because the ideal profile is high I and high D, you'll generally find your best salespeople are low
S. A low S likes things to be different, unique, and interesting.
The answer is to keep the job interesting. You can do this yourself by running contests, varying
routines, and helping keep the atmosphere enthusiastic and not humdrum.
Work with your salesperson to keep their work fresh and different. Involve them in package
development. You'll often find you can help this person start a surge by changing their activity.
So just as with a high S, your input is valuable with a low S on campaign selection.
C - Conforming
As we'd noted above, DON'T HIRE A HIGH C! These people can be outstanding administrative
personnel, accountants, computer programmers, and engineers, but they shouldn't be in sales!
High C's are compliant, careful, cautious, neat, and precise. They are rule followers, not rule
breakers. When a prospect says they're "not interested", the high C says "ok" and goes on to the
next person. And since we know that nobody ever wants to buy anything, you'd better have a
salesperson who can turn some of the "not interested's" into sales!
Since you're going to hire a low C, recognize that you're going to get someone who does not like
to follow rules and procedures. Think about the best salespeople on your staff now; isn't it true
they usually follow rules only when the rules suit them?
Naturally we're not saying it's ok to break the rules. Just understand that's the nature of the beast,
and manage accordingly. You're hiring this person to sell, and most sales managers tell us that
the more their salesperson does sell, the more they're able to tolerate in this area – within reason,
of course. (The low C managers who read this will certainly be much more comfortable with this
analysis!)
One outstanding manager once said to us, "All great salespeople are high maintenance."
Translation: they're low C's!
Instructions for Interviewing
There are a lot of details in the Member Area on Interviewing and its essential role in the hiring
process. Please spend time reviewing the details, paying particular attention to the AHS 4-Part
Interview Module.
The first interview should be 20% talk and 80% listen with you doing the listening and the candidate
doing the talking.
Take notes-your opinions, early conclusions and other first impression factors will be extremely
important at a later date if the candidate makes it through the finals.
Look for people who use verbs rather than nouns. Verb users tend to be action oriented.
Does the candidate talk about the past or does the candidate talk about the future? The past is
important but they must talk about what they can do for you.
Put them under stress on the first go-around. It will be important to see how they react under stress as
that will be the conditions that they will have to work under.
Product knowledge is not important. A good salesperson can sell anything.
DO NOT ASK FOR AGE OR DATE OF BIRTH, PLACE OF BIRTH, SEX, MARTIAL STATUS,
NUMBER OF CHILDREN, RACE OR ETHNIC ORIGIN, COLOR, CITIZENSHIP, NATIVE
LANGUAGE, RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE, INFORMATION ABOUT THE APPLICANT'S
SPOUSE, HEALTH UNLESS SPECIFICALLY JOB RELATED, PHYSICAL HANDICAP,
SEXUAL ORIENTATION, ANY OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
CANDIDATE'S RELATIVES!
Rejection Letters
Rejection letters are more than just a courtesy. They're a very important component of your
hiring process, and because your company's image is valuable, it's vital that you mail them
promptly.
Mailing these letters quickly accomplishes two things: 1. It's a courtesy to the applicants so they
can go on with their job search. 2. It saves you time! This minimizes the number of applicants
who will call you about the job and reduces your time spent on the phone talking with them.
These letters should be sent in several stages. The first stage is to those people who sent a
resume' or completed an application, but for some reason are eliminated from consideration at the
beginning of the process.
From that point forward, mail rejection letters as you eliminate candidates further into the hiring
cycle. Once per week should be sufficient.
Included in the forms section is a letter for your use. Naturally, if you have one that does the job
for you, we encourage you to continue to use it. Although this is a form letter, be sure to address
and sign each letter personally.

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How to Increase your Company’s

Sales Hiring Success Rate to 90%

Our mission in creating The AAddvvaanncceedd H

So let’s think about the process of hiring salespeople...

Screening Your Candidates

One of the key ingredients of the AAddvvaanncceedd H

Simply stated, the ValuesMatrix(TM) measures a person's motivating forces. Specifically, it

How to Interpret and Use the Test

DOMINANCE - How you approach problems and deal with challenges.

Note that D sometimes is referred to as "DRIVE"; S as "STABILITY"; and C as

How To Manage the Various Types

Product knowledge is not important. A good salesperson can sell anything.

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