10 years ago
January 5, 2015

7 Things Great Employers Require From Sales People

Following are seven things that great employers require from sales people who want to land the ideal sales position.

Rhys Metler

For sales people who are looking to land a position at one of the top employers in their industry it is helpful to know what great employers are looking for in sales candidates. The best employers have strong reputations and relationships within the industry that ensure a steady flow of potential new sales people, so these great employers can afford to be specific in their needs. Following are seven things that great employers require from sales people who want to land the ideal sales position.

#1: A Willingness to Commit for the Long Term

Successful companies are well aware of the importance of retention and are always looking to hire sales people who are looking for a career, not just another job. If you land a job interview with a great employer be sure to articulate exactly why you are interested in the position and why it fits with your long-term goals. This will help establish you as a candidate for the long term.

#2: Attention to Detail

As more companies compete for business from the same prospects, attention to detail becomes more crucial for great employers and the sales people who work for them. Employers that have a competitive package to offer expect sales people to be able to demonstrate fine-tuned attention to the small things that can make margins and boost revenue. Make sure you stand out as detail oriented by ensuring your resume is error-free and your interview answers address how you handle the details.

#3: The Ability to Think Strategically

Sales people are working more independently than ever and great employers need to know that their sales people can be relied upon to make the right strategic decisions while in the field, even if this means saying ‘no’ to a deal. Develop your strategic thinking by understanding trends in your industry and at the organizations for which you would most like to work.

#4: Flexibility Under All Circumstances

Great sales people should be able to do more than sell; they should also be able to set priorities, handle issues, and lend assistance to others as business needs require. The flexibility to do so successfully is not something that all candidates applying for positions with great employers have, so setting yourself apart by highlighting examples of your flexibility can be a differentiator:

  • Show how you have handled multiple priorities simultaneously in the past.
  • Use examples that show how you have adapted to shifting priorities at previous employers.
  • Keep the focus on active language using first-person verbs and well-defined results to get the attention of great employers.

#5: Strengths in Forming and Maintaining Relationships

Great employers are looking for more than one-time sales from their sales people; they also require long-term clients to keep revenue in the target zone. To do this, the sales people that great employers hire must be able to demonstrate strengths for forming and maintaining relationships with prospects and clients at all levels of an organization’s hierarchy.

#6: Loyalty to the Organization

Although sales people may be shifting employers more frequently than in the past, great employers are still looking for sales people who demonstrate loyalty. This is not just loyalty as in longevity; it is loyalty by maintaining confidentiality about past clients, managers, and employers, even if a situation did not end positively. This discretion is highly valued in today’s marketplace and can help sales people build valuable trust in the eyes of great employers and influential decision makers.

#7: A Demonstrated Capacity for Advancement

Great employers are not threatened by sales people who are on the track to bigger and better things; in fact, these are the sales people that great employers often want the most. Employers and sales people alike benefit when a sales person can enter an advancement track within the company. Show that you are on your way to the top by accumulating greater responsibilities and skills wherever you can.

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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