Have you ever wondered what gets discussed behind closed doors when it comes to making the choice of which new salesperson gets the job?
Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall to learn about the criteria companies typically use to make their hiring decisions when it comes to their sales teams?
What if I was to tell you that your CV and sparkling personality may be playing second fiddle to what companies really want to see in a salesperson...and that's how influential you are on LinkedIn.
That's right - more and more companies are using how much LinkedIn 'professional brand' influence a candidate has as a prerequisite to hiring them - especially if that person is applying for a sales role.
Putting yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager - it makes total sense - salespeople typically sell themselves brilliantly at interviews, taking the moment to bask in the glory of retelling stories of 'wins gone by' - however - what happens after they leave the room?
Don't be surprised if you see several people from the employer company looking at your LinkedIn profile.
What are they looking for?
LinkedIn has made it easy for employers to see just how influential an individual is on the platform by introducing the LinkedIn SSI Score which generates a score up to 100 and measures how well you build relationships and engage with people.
Making sales is all about relationship building and who you know, right?
Then there's factors like personal recommendations - what do ex-colleagues and clients say about you? What kind of activity are you putting out - are you sharing thought leadership by way of LinkedIn Pulse articles? Do you engage with the content put out by your network of connections?
That's exactly what employers want, whoever they employ - they need to see them hit the ground running - and having a strong pre-existing LinkedIn network, cuts down the guesswork regarding whether they'll have a strong sales pipeline in place early on.
If you're thinking that you should invest more time in LinkedIn - follow our blog for regular LinkedIn tips and tricks to help improve your LinkedIn SSI score and make those companies who are advertising your dream sales job desperate to hire you!
