Talent Scout: Brainy in Business

Eric McMath hires salespeople who are brainy in business. What does that mean? McMath, vice president of sales for the SearchLogix Group, an executive search firm in Kennesaw, Ga., defines this elusive trait as the ability to "understand business at fifty thousand feet." It's when a salesperson understands his actions influence more than whether he can take his family to the Maui Four Seasons this year, he says. When scanning resumes for his own sales team, McMath isn't impressed by an MBA. He looks for signs of continuous improvement, for example, taking, additional courses on business or sales while carrying a quota. During the interview he asks salespeople to cite a particularly important or memorable win. If the candidate uses the word "I" too many times, McMath becomes turned off. A more impressive answer would highlight a team sale that involved, say, the salesperson's boss and several key executives from the operations team. "Sometimes we like to beat ourselves on the chest," he says, "but sales is really more than that." —M.M.