--- title: How to Interview for Hunters | The Sales Blog description: When I started working in staffing, I interviewed thirty to forty people a day. I did this for almost five years. After a while, I could tell within minutes image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_270859241.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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I did this for almost five years. After a while, I could tell within minutes if a candidate was going to show up to work, whether or not they would succeed, or if they would accept a job and not show up at all. My intuition became very highly tuned. [Hiring salespeople](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/how-to-hire-a-salesperson) turned out to be more difficult. Some of my “sure bets” turned out to be duds. The worst performer I ever hired had the highest score on a fancy hiring assessment. Some I took chances on turned out to be stars. Some of the best resumes with the best pedigrees did terribly, and some hires with little to no experience crushed it. Many of the people I hired would have done incredible things if they would have worked as hard to win business and they did to win the job. Over time, I learned a very easy way to tell a [hunter](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/the-advantage-of-a-hunter-culture) from the rest of the pack. I simply asked them to role play a cold call with me. I would say, “Okay, role play a cold call with me, I answer the phone and say, ‘Hello, it’s Anthony Iannarino.” The response is a clue as to whether or not the person is a hunter. Non-hunters will intellectualize the answer. They’ll describe a cold call to you. They’ll say, “Well, first I would research you to see what I could learn about your personally . . . then I’d probably connect with you on LinkedIn . . .” There is nothing wrong with doing your homework. You should look up your prospects on LinkedIn, and you should connect with them. Or they say, “When I make a cold call, what I want to do is . . . “ Most salespeople know what they should do before they make calls, even if they [overdo it on the research](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/the-minimum-effective-amount-of-preparation-to-prospect) and emails they believe “[warm up](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/who-are-you-warming-it-up-for)” the prospect. It’s not the knowledge of how to pick up the phone and book an appointment that worries me; it’s the unwillingness. When you start a role play in an interview with a hunter, they say, “Good morning, this is . . . I am calling you today . . .” This is one way to know that the person sitting in front of you is a hunter. It doesn’t mean that you should automatically hire them, but it does give you faith that they have the confidence to prospect, and that they aren’t likely to be [opportunity-starved](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/if-you-only-had-8-hours-to-create-an-opportunity) while working for you.   ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2016](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2016) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on November 18, 2016 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2024-09-05T4:17:26 AM", "datePublished" : "2016-11-18 19:53:35", "description" : "When I started working in staffing, I interviewed thirty to forty people a day. I did this for almost five years. 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