Last week, I discussed the hiring mechanisms and their subjective decisions, which led to a moment of clarity: if everyone on your team looks like your reflection, you’re doing it wrong.
Seven people, same haircut, same polo shirt, same backstory about playing Call of Duty. It’s as if you’d stumbled into a glitch in the Matrix.
Let me be direct: diversity in sales isn’t some HR checkbox – it’s a competitive advantage you’re leaving on the table.
The “mini-me” hiring approach is comfortable. It’s also killing your numbers.
Think about it: When your entire team shares the same background, experiences, and thinking patterns, you’re essentially paying multiple salaries for one brain.
Customer: “We need someone who understands our specific industry challenges.”
Your homogeneous team: *all blink simultaneously* “Let me circle back on that.”
The most successful teams I’ve built had people who made me uncomfortable initially. The former engineer who approached sales completely differently. The career-changer who asked “why” about processes everyone else accepted. The person from a completely different cultural background who connected with prospects I couldn’t crack.
Each brought perspectives that challenged my “we’ve always done it this way” thinking.
Want to test if you’re guilty? Look at your last five hires. If they all remind you of younger you, you’ve got work to do.
This isn’t about being woke. It’s about winning deals your competitors can’t because you have perspectives they don’t.
So next time you’re hiring and feel drawn to the candidate who “just feels right” – pause. That comfort might be costing you money.
