Hiring a salesperson for your growing business is an important step in business growth.

Sales hiring represents an opportunity to inject new energy into your sales team. Having the right sales talent can mean the difference between having a group of top performers or a lagging customer base.

Let’s be positive, though.

You can find a new salesperson that will help you march toward sales success. Hiring salespeople can be a rewarding endeavor, if you follow some simple steps.

And you can avoid the turnover cost associated with needing to hire a salesperson again quickly when the first salesperson doesn’t fit in the job or with the sales team.

Sales Job

When Should You Hire Sales Reps?

Be aware of your current sales team. Does your company already boast strong sales? Perhaps you need more help in handling increased sales calls. That’s the perfect time to hire a salesperson.

Most businesses will find that their sales funnel does not continually overflow. The economy is variable and fluctuations are natural and sometimes unexpected.

But you should be aware of your industry’s trends. Be ready to take steps to address your needs with new sales professionals when necessary.

For example, is your business somewhat seasonal or fairly steady? A good sales manager can anticipate when new hires will be needed to handle an increase in potential clients.

What Sales Managers Need To Know About The Hiring Process

Hiring a great salesperson is more than just flipping through cover letter after cover letter. While a lot of work may be required in finding a sales rep to add to your sales department, the grunt work isn’t the only – or even the most important – step in the process.

Keep in mind a key point as you read through the following steps.

All of the most successful sales leaders started out as a new sales hire in the beginning. Sales effectiveness grows over time.

A good salesperson can become a great salesperson. And a great salesperson can become the perfect salesperson. But choosing the right candidates at the start is what will bring this outcome.

Let’s begin with some steps to make sure your job posting attracts the right salesperson.

How Much Should You Pay Your Sales Hire?

Opportunity costs. Sales managers understand this principle. It takes money to make money. This will be true with the sales reps that you hire.

While it can be tempting to bury compensation in a job description or be evasive on the payment terms, that usually leads to the best talent bypassing your job postings.

Wouldn’t you want an honest and upfront rundown of the money that a job would bring you? Of course, sales experience will factor in. Qualified candidates also understand that commission will heavily influence their paycheck.

Some positions are 100% commission-based – and that’s fine! Some great sales reps love flexing their sales skills to maximize their pay. Simply be honest about what the job entails.

hirign a salesperson

Set Your Hiring Criteria

Set in your own mind the most important qualities of the perfect sales rep and the overall hiring process. Do this well before the interview process begins.

• What are the minimum and preferred qualifications in education and experience?
• Are there target quotas for the sales representative position?
• How many in-person interviews will your team conduct?

Some businesses maintain an extensive database of potential hires. You might even use your CRM (customer relationship management) software to organize this data. That way when you are ready for the next job posting you may already have a few warm leads on good salespersons to contact.

When you have your new hire criteria fully fleshed out, it’s time to write a meaningful job description. Plan to use keywords that a good sales rep would search for online.

Job postings can be on social media or dedicated job-hiring sites. Potential employees will soon be contacting your company about the opening.

ALSO READ: TIPS FOR A SALES INTERVIEW: HOW TO SUCCEED AT A JOB INTERVIEW

Have Clear Expectations, Ask Questions

From the get-go – within the job description – make it clear what the sales rep job involves. Identify required skills and qualifications so that potential candidates can speak to their strengths in those areas.

The goal is to find sales reps who will add to your sales strategy. Time management skills will be important. Soft skills might be as important as hard selling ability.

Find ways to draw out the salesperson candidates during the interview process. You need to understand their skills and behavioral abilities. One way to do this is through skillful questions.

Use questions that don’t necessarily let the sales rep brag about their abilities. You need an honest view of the person. For example:

• Tell me about a time that you didn’t meet your own expectations. What would you do differently?
• If I asked every one of your previous co-workers, what would they say about you?

Match Your Sales Talent To Your Company Culture

Sales reps will be the face of your company to potential customers. Make sure they represent the company values that you project. The best salespeople make your company look competent, helpful, and responsive during a sales presentation.

Sales reps will be part of a larger team and absorb your company culture. The sales organization should be able to work as a cohesive unit to implement the company’s sales strategy.

You should have confidence that you’ve chosen the right salesperson. They will:

• Have a business acumen that drives business growth through new sales and retaining established clients for repeat business.
• Possess soft skills like being good at building trust, having a good sense of humor, and excellent organization skills.
• Have an understanding of your sales process and a willingness to be trained in new methods.

Adding the Ideal Candidate To Your Sales Team

The recruitment process can be a difficult road to navigate. Finding a good salesperson can be difficult and finding the ideal candidate may be impossible. But you can find the best talent available by making smart moves during the hiring process.

Take time to identify the key qualities of a top sales candidate. Be specific in what you looking for and make that known to job seekers within the job description.

Ask pertinent questions during the interview process and be willing and ready to answer some yourself. Hire sales professionals that add to the quality of your team and jive with your company culture.