3 years ago
July 20, 2021

4 Benefits of Hiring a Sales Rep With No Experience in Your Industry

Experience is an important consideration. Most sales companies prioritize it when hiring. But there can be benefits to hiring people with little industry experience. HIRE BETTER TODAY Hiring people with…

Rhys Metler

Experience is an important consideration. Most sales companies prioritize it when hiring. But there can be benefits to hiring people with little industry experience.

HIRE BETTER TODAY

Hiring people with relevant experience helps, but salespeople with no experience in the industry won’t fall into the same traps those with experience might. Here are the benefits of hiring a sales rep with no industry experience:

1. Fewer bad habits

One of the potential drawbacks of hiring an experienced sales rep is they may be stuck in their ways. They could have some bad habits or do things a certain way that is not in alignment with how your company operates. Reps with no experience are more of a blank slate. You can teach them the best practices and your preferred method of doing things without as much pushback.

2. You get a new perspective

It can be easy for your sales team to become complacent over time. Adding someone with no industry experience can inject some new life into your team. They will look at your sales process, customers, products, and services in a new way. They can add new insights and perspectives you may not have considered. Reps can apply what they learned in a previous industry and bring it to the job.

3. They are more open to new ways of doing things

Sales reps with minimal experience know they have a lot to learn. They are more open to doing things a different way and accepting feedback. They are eager to learn a new way to do things and are less likely to come into the job with a “that’s the way it’s always been done” attitude. When you hire a candidate who has been in a similar role in your industry for a while, it can be challenging for them to do things a new way.

4. Diversity

Hiring someone from outside of your industry helps to make your team more well-rounded. You want people with a variety of levels of experience from multiple industries to help your team. If you only hired people in your industry with the same education, skills, and experience, you would limit your team’s potential.

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Rhys Metler

Rhys is a tenacious, top performing Senior Sales Recruiter with 15+ years of focused experience in the Digital Media, Mobile, Software, Technology and B2B verticals. He has a successful track record of headhunting top performing sales candidates for some of the most exciting brands in North America. He is a Certified Recruitment Specialist (CRS) and has expert experience in prospecting new business, client retention/renewals and managing top performing sales and recruitment teams. Rhys enjoys spending quality time with his wife, son, and daughters, BBQing on a hot summer day and tropical vacations.

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