Excelling in Technology Sales: Asking the Right Questions During Reference Checks

When considering the hiring of a candidate for a technology sales position, conducting thorough reference checks is a critical step to ensure a successful fit. While standard reference questions provide valuable insights, it is equally important to ask targeted questions relevant to the technology sales role. In this article, we will guide you on how to conduct effective reference checks by integrating both standard and role-specific questions.

Standard Reference Questions

1. What was the role of the candidate at the company?

2. What was the role of the reference in relation to the candidate?

3. What were the dates of employment and title held by the candidate?

4. What was the reason for the candidate leaving the company? Were they re-hired after parting ways?

These standard questions establish foundational information that helps validate the candidate's tenure and reasons for any career transitions. It's crucial to ensure accuracy in this basic information before diving deeper into the specific aspects of the job.

Role-Specific Questions for Technology Sales

When evaluating a candidate for a technology sales position, it is imperative to gauge their technical proficiency and outcome-driven approach. Here are some key questions to ask when conducting reference checks:

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

5. What were the key performance indicators (KPIs) for the technology sales role?

6. To what extent did the candidate meet these KPIs? If not, what were the reasons for this?

7. What were the specific actions taken by the candidate when they failed to meet KPIs? Did they seek assistance or develop new strategies?

8. What actions did the candidate take to surpass the KPIs?

Technical Client Handling

9. How did the candidate handle technical clients? Did they possess the necessary technical knowledge to address client inquiries effectively?

10. Could the candidate provide an example of a challenging technical issue they resolved, and how they handled it?

On-Technical Client Interaction

11. How did the candidate handle on-technical clients? Were they able to effectively communicate the value of the technology without overwhelming clients with technical jargon?

12. Can you provide an example of how the candidate managed a complex on-technical client relationship?

13. How would you rate the candidate's technical savviness? Were they confident in their understanding of the product benefits and how they addressed both technical and non-technical client needs?

Additional Reference Check Questions

While the above questions are highly effective, it's also beneficial to ask more nuanced questions to understand the candidate's personal and professional qualities:

Collaborative Skills

14. In what capacity have you worked with [Potential Employee Name] at the company?

15. How would you rate [Potential Employee Name]'s work performance?

16. How would you rate [Potential Employee Name]'s cooperative skills with others? Can you provide an instance where they demonstrated teamwork?

Quality Assurance and Improvement

17. If you were to give [Potential Employee Name] some advice, what would it be?

18. Would you hire [Potential Employee Name] back if you had the opportunity? Why or why not?

These additional questions help gauge not only the candidate's technical and sales performance but also their interpersonal skills and overall potential to fit into the team.

Conclusion

Effective reference checks are an essential part of the hiring process for technology sales positions. By combining standard questions with role-specific and additional questions, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of a candidate's qualifications and potential. This approach ensures that you make informed hiring decisions that align with your company's needs and goals.

Remember, thorough reference checks are not just about verifying facts but also about gaining deeper insights into the candidate's work habits, team dynamics, and problem-solving abilities. Embrace this process as a crucial step towards hiring the right talent for your technology sales team.