10 years ago
January 6, 2015

What to Look For When Hiring a Sales Director

Many of these qualities are what separates the truly talented sales directors from those who are simply good at their jobs.

Rhys Metler

hiring a sales directorBefore you hire a sales director, it is very important to make sure that the candidates you are interviewing have the qualities that will help them excel at their jobs. Many of these qualities are what separates the truly talented sales directors from those who are simply good at their jobs. If you want your company to succeed, having a talented sales team is one of the most important facets of success, but they also need the right person who is going to help drive them to meet and exceed your goals. 

Let’s look at few of these highly important qualities that your sales director should have. 

1. Strong motivational abilities.

As you know, not everyone is motivated the same way. A sales director should be able to motivate their entire team and be able to learn what each sales person needs to make them better. Motivators and drivers are the key to a highly successful sales team. Look for the “leader” personality type, coupled with the “driver” as the underlying trait to help you find the absolute best candidate for the job. This is one of the many reasons why personality trait tests are so vital in the sales hiring process. 

2. Commitment to maintaining a positive workplace culture.

Positivity has a huge impact on the motivation and morale levels of your employees. While some directors may be able to whip a team into shape, if they have the bully personality type, you are going to see higher than average turnover rates and over time, your team will lose their focus and cohesion. A positive sales director will be able to get more done and get more out of your sales team members. 

3. The ability to integrate into your current corporate culture.

Your corporate culture is more important than you know and likewise, having a sales director who believes in and is committed to maintaining that culture matters. Make sure you let your candidates know your vision and mission statements and how your company runs day to day. If you don’t have someone who can embrace your corporate culture, they simply won’t fit and chances are, you’ll be looking for another sales director before you know it.

{{cta(‘ffeb1397-30ae-48a1-b1be-3a655b33afce’)}} 4. The commitment to continual innovation.

Sales is an ever-changing industry. Staying stagnant is a quick recipe for disaster for a sales team. You need to find a sales director who is committed to innovating on a constant basis. While you don’t want them to reinvent the wheel, you do need someone who can look at what your team is currently doing and find ways to make it better. The sales process has changed dramatically over the past decade and you need a sales director who understands this shift and embraces the principles behind it. They’ll be able to get better results from your sales team and they will be willing to continue looking for ways that your numbers can improve. 

While every single candidate is going to be different, a sales director position does call for these specific traits. It is also helpful to look for a candidate who has been in sales for several years, in all levels, so that they have more insight into working with sales team members and have the depth of knowledge you need to take your company to the next level.

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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