Topgrading for Sales: World-Class Methods to Interview, Hire, and Coach Top SalesRepresentatives
Building on the success of his 1999 topgrading process to hire, coach, and keep the best people, author-psychologist-consultant Smart teams up with Alexander (of Sales Benchmark Index) to introduce a hiring method geared to sales reps. Why such a specific topic? Consider these statistics: the average tenure of a sales manager is 19 months, and 40 percent of all sales reps fail year after year after year. Thus, the reason for topgrading’s 10 meticulous steps becomes crystal clear. All of these steps are supported by forms and structure, from the scorecard to the reference-check guide. All are based on sound human- resources practices and policies, including a validation of the interview questions by a top-notch labor relations–employment law firm. Although some text seems to be deliberately designed to sell additional products to readers, Topgrading  itself presents valuable information for anyone in the business of people management. --Barbara Jacobs