How do I hire salespeople who will actually perform?

Not knowing how to hire sellers who will actually perform is a more honest place to start than false confidence, so give yourself credit for naming it. Hiring is one of the hardest calls in sales because the interview rewards exactly the skill, talking well, that can hide whether someone can truly do the job. The very thing that makes a good interview can fool you. The way through is to stop being sold in the room and start looking for proof. A performer has usually performed before, at something, and can tell you exactly how: the numbers, the obstacles, what they did when it got hard. Vague, polished answers are a warning. Specific, slightly messy stories of real effort are the signal you want. So build your interview around evidence. Ask candidates to walk you through a real deal or a real goal they hit, step by step, and press on the hard parts. The ones who can show you the work, not just the shine, are the ones more likely to perform. Hire for what they have actually done, and let that guide you more than how good they make you feel.