Did you know that the typical turnover for sales professionals is close to 40 percent? When you hire someone that is not competent, the total expenditure can end up costing you three times the annual salary. Bringing in the wrong people when you hire sales people can be very costly to your organization and you need to make sure you hire sales people the right way.

Look for achievers.

As a sales manager, you need to get out and find the people who are at the top of their game. Most communities have networking groups that you should be attending. Before you even begin the process to hire sales people, go to these meetings and get to know who the successful people are. The people who attend these meetings are usually very motivated. The meetings are often held early in the morning prior to the start of the business day. The people who are attending these meetings are showing a strong commitment to being successful just by their attendance. Collect business cards and keep information on the people that you may be interested in when you hire sales people.

Another way to find the top performers when you need to hire sales people is to ask your clients and customers whom they would recommend. Buyers have a lot of experience dealing with sales people and will be able to tell you about a potential person’s professionalism, personality and success rate.

Also consider using sales recruiters when you need to hire sales people. Sales recruiters will have an extensive database of good candidates and will have the resources for screening and assessing the best people for you.

Know what you need.

Take an inventory of the qualities and characteristics of the people on your team that have been successful. When you hire sales people look for these traits. Keep in mind that you can educate and train anyone about your product or services so don’t limit yourself to people only in your industry. Hire sales people that meet the profile of success in your company and on your team. Also consider the culture of your company. It is important that you find people who not only have the skills you want, but who will also help to build your team and make it stronger and more successful. You may find someone who has incredible sales skills but may have a hard time fitting in with the rest of the team. One person can change the entire nature and personality of your team and effect the success rate simply by not fitting in.

Evaluate what you have to offer.

Take a good look at the compensation and rewards package that you have to offer. Then find out what your competition is offering to their sales professionals. When you hire sales people, they are looking for the best compensation package that they can get. The better the sales person, the more they expect, and, frankly, the more they deserve. If your compensation package is not what it should be you need to make the changes that will allow you hire sales people that are the best.

When you need to hire sales people, you need to do it the right way. You need to look for the best talent, know exactly what you need to build your team, and be able to compensate them in a way that will reward their success. Not hiring the right person for the job can be very costly in terms of lost sales and high turnover. When you hire the right way, it should keep your expenses down and sales success high.