In this week’s episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales, Kevin Lawson and Sean O’Shaughnessey are joined by the “Elder Statesman” of fractional sales management: John Lee. With nearly four decades of experience and a deep track record of helping companies hire top-performing sales professionals, John shares a masterclass in sales hiring strategy. Whether you’re scaling from a two-person team to ten or trying to avoid costly hiring mistakes, this episode delivers practical, field-tested advice on building elite sales teams, strengthening your sales processes, and aligning talent with company culture.

Don't miss this conversation if you're committed to improving your sales success through smarter hiring, better business acumen, and scalable revenue generation.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The Hiring Mindset for Growth Companies (00:01:45) Why hiring rock stars—not warm bodies—matters and how John filters for high performers.

• From First Hire to Scaling a Team (00:04:44) CEOs and sales leaders must ask the evolving questions when hiring their 3rd, 5th, or 10th rep.

• Psychographics, Not Just Resumes (00:05:24) How John builds candidate profiles that match top performers using behavior and motivation, not just skills.

• Parallel Sales and Hiring Processes (00:08:00) Why a successful sales hiring process mirrors your value selling strategy—with defined steps, assessments, and clear messaging.

• Avoiding Common Hiring Mistakes (00:11:43) The critical danger of hiring salespeople who are better at selling themselves than your solution.

• Top 3 Rules for Hiring Sales Talent (00:13:33) John’s unfiltered checklist for hiring decisions that fuel revenue growth and protect your sales culture.

Key Quotes:

• John Lee: “Don’t hire someone who can’t show they’ve been successful—and don’t hire someone who doesn’t fit your culture.” (00:13:57)

• Sean O’Shaughnessey: “A salesperson might not be able to sell your product to save their life—but they’re often great at selling themselves. That’s a trap for business owners.” (00:11:55)

• Kevin Lawson: “You talk about hiring the way you talk about sales infrastructure—it’s all about process, fit, and purpose.” (00:07:42)

Additional Resources Mentioned:

• OMG Sales Candidate Assessment (Objective Management Group) – John’s preferred tool for evaluating candidate sales DNA and fit.

• LinkedIn: John Lee - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnleeportlandoregon/

A Significant Actionable Item from this Podcast: Design a Hiring Process Like a Sales Process Treat your hiring efforts with the same rigor as your sales process. Start by defining a psychographic profile based on your top performers. Use structured assessments to evaluate “sales DNA” and focus interviews on demonstrated success, not just confidence. Then, make cultural fit a deal-breaker. Great hires aren’t just competent—they’re aligned with your mission, methods, and team dynamics.

Summary Paragraph: This episode is essential listening for sales leaders and business owners looking to scale their teams without sacrificing culture, performance, or momentum. John Lee brings a rare mix of seasoned sales management expertise and real-world hiring acumen to the table. If you want to improve revenue generation through smarter hiring and better sales strategies, you'll find actionable insights packed into every minute. Don’t settle for average; build a sales team that drives success. Tune in now.

To understand if your company is doing a great job in sales, take this quick and easy assessment: https://salesxceleration.com/sales-agility-assessment/?locationid=28995327

You can reach out to Sean at New Sales Expert, LLC - [email protected] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/soshaughnessey/

You can reach out to Kevin at Lighthouse Sales Advisors & Sales Xceleration - [email protected] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwlawson/

You can book time on Kevin's calendar at https://lighthousesalesadvisors.pipedrive.com/scheduler/JP7rZXH3/virtual-meeting-booking-time-with-kevin

You can book time on Sean's calendar at http://newsales.expert/sean-oshaughnessey-calendar/