I saw a sign in the deli recently that read: "Hire a teenager while they still know everything." I began thinking about our hiring decisions. Many business owners are confronted by a simple chicken-or-egg dilemma: should I hire before, or after, I have the sales to justify the expense? I prefer to look at it differently. If things proceed according to plan, what kind of person will you need to hire in order to be successful? Once you can visualize the person, you will know when the right time has arrived.

It's not just about tasks and skills. The success of a hire will be determined by how well that person performs over time. One of the ways to analyze a business is to look at revenue per employee. That can also be shown as net income per employee. You should look at a hire in terms of your ROI. What is the return on your investment of time, money, and resources?

What makes a successful hire? What I have found is that an applicant's personality is the key component of success. Many companies create a job description based on skills and tasks and fail to determine what kind of person would best fill that role. I often suggest to my clients that they begin by deciding what tasks a new hire can do and then try to describe the type of person they want to do those tasks. Then, when they meet candidates, the first question is whether they fit the description. But, the next question needs to be whether they will fit within the organization over the longer term.

This is probably the biggest challenge. The complaint I hear most often from franchisors is that the franchisees that are underperforming, and complaining about their results, are the ones who refuse to follow the proven system the franchisor created. The same can hold true for employees. Sometimes people are too smart for their own good, they over-think the situation. If I were hiring project managers for complicated construction projects I would want problem solvers who could work with people and think outside the box. But, for a shipping clerk I want someone who diligently follows procedures. For a receptionist, a Manager of First Impressions, I want someone who is always positive, listens well, and knows how to guide people to the right person. I can teach skills but I can't change personalities.

Employment is a marriage of sorts. Over time both parties will change, grow older and either grow together or grow apart. In business we have the opportunity to take emotion out of the courtship and, based on what we see and hear, bet on the future. Whether the bet pays is, in large part, now up to you.

Remember, when the odds are in your favor it's not really gambling.

Motive, means, and opportunity. What's the first word that comes to mind? And what,exactly, does murder have to do with sales?

Think about it. A prospect needs a motive (need), the means (money), and an opportunity to do business with you. Of these, the only one you really control is the opportunity. The more opportunities there are for your prospect to connect with you, the more likely it is that you can, not will, do business.

You usually can't give a prospect the means to do business, but you might be able to influence their perception, their motive. You've heard that "you can lead the horse to water, but you can't make him drink." Maybe not, but you can certainly make him thirsty!

In the October issue of Entrepreneur magazine Guy Kawasaki had an article which made a great point about networking. Good networkers give favors and return favors, but great networkers ask for favors. He pointed out that this builds a relationship not based on guilt, but rather on fair trade. Helping each other builds a relationship. Do your part and don't be afraid to ask for something in return.

The answer to any reasonable request should be "Yes".