How long have you known the applicant and in what context? Please comment upon the frequency and nature of your interactions with the applicant.
I know ABC since the time I joined DEF Inc. in March 2007. We have worked together as loan officers until we both started managing a team. We have been regularly interacting ever since.
What are the applicant’s three principal strengths? Please provide an example of each.
ABC’s principal strengths include a great ability to lead, team skills and strong business judgment.
- ABC has the remarkable ability to create and inspire vision – When he talks to people about the future, he makes their eyes light up. Whenever a team member approaches him with any help or clarification he ensures that the core idea is made clear – instead of “spoon-feeding” he cross-questions to make sure the other person can handle it independently the next time. I never found him to be intimidated by responsibility – he revels in the joy of accomplishment and leads from the front. In June this year, when his team was loosing morale due to an overall slowdown in the market, he went ahead and closed two major deals within 5 days. The breakthrough brought back life into the team and a sense of motivation that “It’s Possible. We just have to try harder and smarter”
- He instills confidence in peers and the team alike. He has helped many colleagues including me by coaching us towards crossing mental barriers. For instance, in my early days at DEF Inc., I never used to close revenues of more than 1.5% of the loan amount. ABC, however, was confident or rather adamant that could cross that threshold. He coached me on different scenarios where I could close deeper revenue percentages. He brought home that fact that our fees and commissions were justified because we did provide valuable service to our clients. And I have never doubted our services ever since. I always remember and thank ABC on all deals where I hit more than 3%. He is among the rare breed of exceptional salesmen who focus on the customer’s needs and not just the gimmicks!