Companies that have global offices are often faced with a unique challenge when it comes to international sales recruitment. Trying to find the right candidates for the position and keeping turnover rates low can be frustrating. However, with the right hiring process that targets the qualities you want in your sales people you can be assured of getting the right people hired.

Luckily, the qualities that make someone great at sales are universal so you won’t need to worry about changing your process with different locations for international sales recruitment. Let’s look at the qualities you want to find.

1. Self confident while remaining humble.

In the old days, sales people were known as brash, overly confident people who bullied people into buying products. Today, it is much different. You still want your international sales recruitment process to target those who have high levels of self confidence, but you want to find the candidates that are balanced and still remain humble. This gives you a balanced candidate who will fit today’s sales style much better.

2. The ability to set and keep personal goals.

Great sales people are natural goal setters who set their own bars high and have the drive to achieve. These are the people who will be able to meet not only the goals you set for them, but they’ll naturally set their own goals as well. This ensures that your sales quotas are met and you don’t have to worry about micromanaging your employees. This is a quality that is often overlooked in the international sales recruitment process, but it is vital.

3. Candidates who can empathize.

The sales shift has made finding candidates who display strong characteristics of empathy absolutely essential. Relationship building is key in today’s sales process and you need candidates who can naturally empathize with their leads, start the conversation and keep it going. Those with higher levels of empathy simply sell better because their leads feel more comfortable with them.

4. Candidates who are flexible.

Sales is an ever changing process and great sales people know how important it is to be flexible both in their approach and the ability to learn new techniques. Look for candidates who do not display rigid behaviors and who are open to suggestion and coaching. These are the people who will roll with the punches and learn on the job.

These qualities are all important to target in your international sales recruitment process. By seeking out the candidates who have these qualities, even if they don’t have the experience you’re looking for, you’ll be assured of finding people who will be a natural fit for the sales world.

Incorporate more psychological and scenario based questions into your international sales recruitment process to help you find these candidates in less time and with greater levels of accuracy.