Hiring a sales director is a big decision. They have a significant impact on the direction and success of your company’s sales performance. Hire the right person and take your company to the next level. But hire the wrong person and risk losing momentum, hurting progress and sales, and negatively impacting company culture.

Hiring a sales director, much like many other sales positions, often starts by reviewing resumes. Here are 6 important things sales recruiters should look for to find the best of the best:

1. The ability to build a team and recruit talent

Top sales directors are also strong recruiters themselves. They know how to find and recruit top sales talent to build out a sales team. Look for candidates who show signs of a strong history of building sales teams.

2. They have a strong process and sales methodology

Top sales directors focus on strong processes. They have consistent and proven sales processes, strategies, and tactics. Look for sales director candidates who have strong processes that can be implemented and successful within your organization.

3. A focus on talent development

Once you hire good sales talent, you need to develop them internally to help them and your organization thrives. Look for candidates who emphasize the importance of training, coaching, mentoring, and improving their sales team from within.

4. Accurate and effective forecasting trends

Top sales directors have a history and a knack for accurately forecasting results and trends. Accurate forecasting is a vital component of developing strong business strategies based on market conditions and new developments in the industry.

5. Strong motivation

Successful sales directors are motivated. They have motivation for all the right reasons. Sales directors have the drive to succeed that goes well beyond financial reasons. They are also dedicated to creating success for the entire team and will put in the work to achieve it.

6. A track record of success

The best of the best typically have a track record of success. They have proven their worth in other organizations and helped other companies thrive. Look for sales directors who have been successful in all previous opportunities.

More Tips for Hiring a Sales Director or Manager

Get more insightful advice from our sales recruiters about effectively hiring sales directors and managers:

6 Questions to Ask a Potential Sales Manager During an Interview

How to Prepare for Your First Week at Your New Sales Manager Job

4 Challenges for Sales Managers and How to Overcome Them

SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We recruit salespeople in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services and medical devices. Find the right salesperson for your organization, start your search here.