On-demand webinar
Hire into a system, not into hope
What you’ll learn :
- Why a hiring problem is often a systems and leadership problem, and the three decisions to make before you hire: build the leader before the team, install the cadence before adding headcount, and hire into a system, not into hope
- How a sales leader moves from manager to leader, with weekly one-on-ones and a team meeting people want to attend
- How RTC Products changed its hiring: define the role and its expectations, use an assessment alongside structured interviews, and onboard so new hires feel part of the team
- How to find out where your own sales system is weakest, with the Revenue Readiness Scorecard
Speaker :
Steve Schaefer
Practice Partner and Strategic Sales Coach · US
What's covered
Inside the session. What it covers, then get the full recording.
When growth stalls the reflex is to hire, but most often that is not the answer. RTC spent about eight to nine months on the plan and the systems before they hired.
Rich has been with RTC for fifteen years and leads seven outside and three inside salespeople. Jim has been CEO for four years, after joining as a consultant. In the first poll, clear expectations and accountability came top.
A telemarketing-only model that no longer fitted the products, hiring from customers, friends and a Craigslist ad, and a spreadsheet of customers to call.
Rich explains the difference between managing and leading. Jim explains how the role was defined and how the leader was developed.
Weekly one-on-ones of 30 to 45 minutes, and a weekly sales meeting that is consistent, structured and positive. The second poll asked whether your team would attend if it were optional.
Define the role, make the assessment harder to pass, use its challenge questions in the interview, and onboard over a week or two.
A holiday party cancelled four years ago, then 100% participation for three years. Rich also describes the weekly one-on-one report he now sends the owner.
How assessments fit alongside interviews, what they would change, and the Revenue Readiness Scorecard: nine areas, about 8 to 9 minutes.
Resources
Get the recording
Frequently asked questions
Common Questions
Often, according to the session. Hiring more salespeople is sometimes the right answer, but most often the problem is a plan, systems and leadership, which RTC Products built over about eight to nine months before it hired.
Three decisions: build the leader before the team, install the cadence before adding headcount, and hire into a system, not into hope. The question to ask is what system the new person is joining.
Rich Eckert: managing is making sure people move through the process; leading is leading by example, giving people the tools to succeed and learning about your team. Steve Schaefer puts it simply: managing is about tasks, leading is about people.
Weekly. At RTC Products they are scheduled for 45 minutes and usually run 30 to 45, covering month and year to date, last week, this week and any help needed, and sometimes personal matters.
The assessment returns the candidate's answers and how successful people answer the same questions, then suggests questions to challenge those answers in the interview. RTC also valued its consistency: every candidate is judged the same way.
The Revenue Readiness Scorecard covers nine areas and takes about 8 to 9 minutes. It shows your strengths, where the gaps are and what to address first.
The next step
Stop running on heroics. Start engineering revenue.
Whichever way you work with us, the same proven Revenue OS runs underneath. Book a growth session and we’ll show you where to start.