What personality style should you look for when hiring an ISA?

In any job on the face of the planet, skill trumps everything else. When it comes to hiring an ISA, it’s crucial that you hire someone that has either set appointments for themselves or someone else as part of the sales process. Also, it’s key not to confuse people who were on the phone in a customer service capacity with people who actually set appointments as part of their job.

One of the “infield fly rules” in this instance are people who did debt collection, sold cell phones at the local mall or who did door-to-door sales. These folks are especially resilient and really good with scripts, dialogues and overcoming objections.

No matter what the background of the person you hire, you’ll always want to see what their personality style is. It’s important that there is congruency between the person they are and the person you want. Also, you want to make sure that they’re a human being who can carry on a conversation the phone and not just be a militant beast on the phone.

When it comes to hiring a solid ISA, you’re looking for a high D and I (or a high I and D) personality. The high D indicates a prospect with a task orientation who is willing to ask the hard questions, overcome call reluctance (if there is any), and to get to three to four responses of “no” before he/she gives up—if he/she gives up at all. The high I reveals a prospect who can build rapport with anyone in virtually any situation. A person with a high I is a natural conversationalist who can carry on a conversation and put people at ease, even when the person is not known to him/her ahead of time. Not having a high D and I is not necessarily a deal breaker, but it’s highly recommended when moving your prospect to the next stage of the process.

Here’s a quick overview of all four “ideal” personality types:

High D: Moderate to strong focus on tasks and goals; known for achieving results through people; prefers team leadership structure
High I: Energized by people and opportunities to motivate and persuade; confident and outgoing
Low S: Strong sense of urgency; motivated by activity, variety, and change
Low C: Independent; creative thinker with limited interest in details or logistics

Again, the personality profile is not the be-all-and-end-all determinant in selecting your ISA… but it needs to play a huge part in your decision-making process.