Question: We”™ve made mistakes hiring the wrong salespeople in the past. They”™ve cashed our paychecks and haven”™t delivered enough to pay for themselves. How do we avoid another failure?
Thoughts of the day: Many business owners say that hiring effective salespeople is one of the hardest jobs they have to handle. Know who you want and who you don”™t want. Be willing to make mistakes. Have a system to dig deep when looking at candidates. Don”™t weed out the good candidates because they”™re challenging. Once you figure it out, the payoff is a company that grows year after year.
Robust sales activity, not dependent on the owner, is essential to any thriving, well-run business. That said, building a sales team can be challenging. Interviewers may focus on the possibilities and overlook the facts of what a candidate is or isn”™t willing to do. It may not be clear what the next sales hires should be focused on doing. And salespeople can be good at selling themselves in the interview process ”” even if it”™s not the right fit.
Start with a clear understanding of the job requirements. What would most benefit the company right now? Leads to new business? Expertise opening up a new vertical? Better understanding of prospect needs? Proposal writing? Closing? Nurturing and expanding existing accounts? Each of these requires different skill sets, attitudes and behaviors.
Lead generators have to have good connector and networking skills. A thick skin, a positive outlook and absolute focus on doing whatever it takes to meet goals is essential. They”™ll have to deal with a lot of rejection and meet a lot of people to find the prospects they need. Curiosity and liking people are good traits for this group.
Opening a vertical is best done by someone with connections already in that business segment. It”™s easier to get started if the salesperson knows the language and people within that sector. Look for someone already doing business with contacts, even if it”™s selling something entirely different.
If your salesperson will be doing proposal writing, ask for a writing sample. Check on math skills because putting together a proposal includes submitting and negotiating accurate pricing. Find someone who can solve problems, make practical suggestions, manage a timeline and prioritize.
Closers need to demonstrate good instincts at reading a situation. They have to push for feedback and know how to verify the feedback is correct. Closers have to be OK hearing “no” and think that every “no” brings them one step closer to a “yes.” They also need to understand the difference between closing every deal and knowing which deals should be cut loose.
Account managers use good communication and problem solving skills to understand and meet client needs. They like asking for referrals and connecting people. They may not be great at opening doors with strangers, but they love to follow up.
When hiring in sales, like any other part of the business, expect to make a few wrong turns. Clear accountability makes it easier to know if things are on track. If things aren”™t working out, be ready to move on to the next candidate. Keep building the pipeline of candidates until you”™re sure you have a winner.
Consider testing applicants to get a good read on attitudes and behaviors. Carefully check on backgrounds. Watch out for people who move on every year or two. Ask clients to meet finalists and give you their opinion.
Expect sales candidates to be hard to manage. They should exhibit prospecting, qualifying and closing skills. Expect them to be impatient. They”™ll want to speak to the head decision-maker right away. They should push back when things don”™t go their way. Great follow-up skills are essential. Whatever you do, don”™t make it easy for them to sell themselves, make them earn it.
Just as frustrations with hiring the wrong people can make you more hesitant, success tends to breed more success. Getting one or two good salespeople on board will make it easier to recognize the next one. Keep at it.
Looking for a good book? Try “Sales Recruiting 2.0: How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast” by Eliot Burdett and Brent Thomson.
Andi Gray is president of Strategy Leaders Inc., strategyleaders.com, a business-consulting firm that specializes in helping entrepreneurial firms grow. She can be reached by phone at 877-238-3535. Do you have a question for Andi? Send it via email to AskAndi@strategyleaders. Visit AskAndi.com for an entire library of Ask Andi articles.
