Peter Smith has been in the jewelry business for four decades. He is the former president of Hearts on Fire, Memoire, and Vibhor. He is the author of several well-known books on selling and hiring, including “Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent”, “Sell Something: Principles and Perspectives for Engaged Retail Salespeople”, and “The Sales Minute: 101 Tips for Retail Salespeople”. Peter is a columnist for National Jeweler and The Jewelry Book, where he writes about retail branding, sales, and hiring.

In this episode, Wendi and Peter discuss:

• The jewelry industry's struggle with retail evolution and product display issues
• Identifying innate traits like drive, optimism, empathy, and resilience in great salespeople
• Importance of personal connection and emotional selling over high product knowledge
• Behavioral interviewing to assess candidates' character, motivation, and cultural fit
• Need for a process-driven approach to align traits, resumes, and company culture for optimal hiring decisions

Key Takeaways:

• Success in sales relies more on inherent traits like drive, optimism, empathy, and resilience, rather than product knowledge alone.
• Revamping traditional hiring practices through behavioral interviews allows companies to uncover the innate traits necessary for top performance, often overlooked in typical processes.
• A process-driven hiring approach, involving multiple interviews, ensures candidates are thoroughly assessed for key qualities like resilience, competitiveness, and a strong sales mindset.
• Cultural alignment is vital; placing the right candidate in a supportive culture fosters success, while a mismatch can lead to underperformance.

“If you're struggling to hire, it's not about finding people being difficult—it's about lacking a process. You need a structured approach that seeks out candidates with drive, optimism, empathy, and resilience, even if they don't have the experience. Sometimes, the best fit for your business isn't looking for you—you have to go find them.” - Peter Smith

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bEv5wzBAeYU?si=eL0mfQwMid7jycPV

Connect with Peter Smith:

Website: https://www.theretailsmiths.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-smith-20a77a33/ 

Connect with Wendi Swanson:

Website: etymongroup.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wendiswanson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557265653368 

Email: [email protected]

Recommended Books:

• Hiring Squirrels, Peter Smith https://www.amazon.com/Hiring-Squirrels-Essential-Interview-Questions/dp/1500269271 
• Good to Great, Jim Collins https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996 
• First, Break All The Rules, Marcus Buckingham https://www.amazon.com/First-Break-All-Rules-Differently/dp/1595621113 
• How To Hire A-Players, Eric Herrenkohl https://www.amazon.com/How-Hire-Players-Recruiting-Department/dp/0470562242 
• Never Hire A Bad Salesperson Again, Christopher Croner and Richard Abrahamhttps://www.amazon.com/Never-Hire-Bad-Salesperson-Again/dp/0578972522 

Show notes by Podcastologist: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.