Top Sales Manager Blog

This may come as a shock to you…but some people are not 100% truthful on their resumes….

Well, yes it has been known to happen on occasion, but there have been times when people (and not just sales people) take a little creative license when writing their resumes.

The big untruths, you can probably pick out:

“…was instrumental in the signing of the SALT II Treaty…”

“…single-handedly responsible for wiping out hunger in the countries of Botswana, Niger and…”

“…won seven CEO Circles in six years…”

The less obvious ones are take a bit more work for you to uncover. In our continuing series on how to screen a sales resume, we delve into three tips on how to do that here:

1. Do they list their jobs by year only or by year and date?

If they list past positions by year only, they may be trying to hide something. Perhaps there was a period of unemployment they are trying to fudge over by giving years of employment only and not months. Another indicator is that if they just list years of employment and no date, then they may just be plain lazy – an indication of lack attention to detail and follow up – both important attributes to possess for ultimate sales success.

2. Are the job descriptions specific or vague?

The more specifics the better, in this case. Also, the more specifically described the accomplishment, the more likelihood that it’s true. It’s far easier to fudge a vague non-specific achievement, but a specific one is harder (and more risky) to fudge, because it can be easily checked in a background check or asked about by an interviewer.

3. If they have accolades, do they use “power words” to describe those accolades?

Sales is a combination of action and results. You definitely need someone who takes action to be working for you – especially someone who proactively creates opportunities on their own, without you have to “motivate” them to do so.

Words like “achieved”, “won”, “accomplished”, “catapulted”, “exceeded” and “generated” are action-oriented “power words”. They bespeak confidence and striving, both important traits that all high performing sales representatives possess.

However, “passive words” like “managed”, “responsible for” or “completed” are far more submissive.

You want a resume filled with “actions words” to say the least…

However, if you have a lot of accolades, but they’re all stated in passive, non-power words, then you have a disconnect. This would lead to skepticism on whether or not those accolades are 100% accurate.

Action-oriented achievers talk and write in power words, non-achievers typically talk and write in “passive words”.

If the resume still looks good, but you have questions, then that candidate may be worth a live interview just to get the specifics answered in a face-to-face interview.

To learn more about sales management training, click here to get your choice of free sales management training courses.

Are you doing the same thing when it comes to screening sales resumes? Post a comment below.

Filed under: Hiring by ralphburns