Hiring a great salesperson can make a huge impact on your organization. Hiring a bad one, or worse yet, one that is just passable can stall sales growth. If you want to identify top talent, try these techniques.
Ask this question. Describe the process by which you build a sales territory. Take your time and walk me through each step. Selling is not just an art, it is a science. Top salespeople sell with a process. Make certain your potential hire has a proven process.
Check these references. Contact the person’s prior sales managers, ask if he/she was a top performer in prospecting, closing, and retention. Call some of their customers and ask if X called on them promoting an unfamiliar product from an unknown company, would you take an appointment? Then ask why. If they tell you that they respect this person enough to listen, you probably have a good prospect.
Use a good assessment tool. Product knowledge, skills, and education are poor measures of sales potential. The very best predictor of sales success is personality, motivational style, and job fit. Sales assessment tests cut through the applicant’s façade and identify the real person, enabling you to accurately determine if they have the right sales personality for your position. I use the aptitude exam from salestestonline.com. There are many good tools available online if you would prefer to look for other options instead.
Our firm helps companies just like yours find great sales talent and has for years. If you would like to discuss how we can help you build a great sales team, contact Dan Simmons, CPC at dan@consearch.com
About us
Continental Search recruits for feed manufacturers and their suppliers across the US and Canada. Our team of 6 recruiters and 3 researchers have over 80 years of combined experience recruiting. For more recruiting tips and information on us, visit www.consearch.com or call (888) 276-6789
