8 years ago
February 21, 2017

A Guide to Finding the Best Sales People

You want to find the best sales people possible for your business. We’re here to help.

Claire McConnachie Recruiter
Claire McConnachie

You want to find the best sales people possible for your business. We’re here to help. Your business relies on the success of your sales team. Look for experienced, qualified sales people who are results oriented. If your sales team can’t produce results, it might be time to put together a new team of qualified sales people who have the skills and expertise needed to be successful and can help grow your business. 

Understand sales to find the best sales people.

If you’re responsible for interviewing and hiring sales people, you need to understand sales. If you don’t really understand what goes into the sales process, how are you supposed to find the best sales people for the job? You need sales people who can close sales. If you currently have some good sales people, consider the qualities they bring to the team. Identify the attributes successful sales people demonstrate. Do you want to hire more sales people who exhibit similar attributes? Are there any gaps in the group that need to be filled? Perhaps you have dealt with sales people who were not very successful. What skills were they lacking? Before you start interviews and before you even post the job description, consider and determine what it is you hope to find in a candidate. 

Update the job posting to find the best sales people.

Before posting the job opening online, carefully review the job description. Make any necessary updates. Remember, this description is what potential candidates will read to determine whether they are interested. What if an interested candidate feels they are qualified after reading the job posting, applies, is invited to come in for an interview only to discover that there are additional requirements they do not possess? Don’t waste your time or a candidate’s time by posting an outdated job description. If it’s been a while since you hired a new sales person, you might need to make substantial changes or write an entirely new posting. This will ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of what the job entails. This will help you find the best sales people for the job.

Train your hiring managers to find the best sales people.

Develop a comprehensive interview guide for hiring managers to ensure consistency. Hiring managers need to be trained to conduct effective interviews. Provide them with proper interviewing techniques. Leading questions can help the candidate respond favourably. Instead of asking obvious leading questions, let the candidates do the talking. This will allow you to gather more valuable and meaningful information. Your hiring managers need to be trained to interview effectively to find the best sales people.

Look for sales people who understand sales.

Look for a candidate who really understands what it means to be a good sales person. Some sales people talk constantly and never really stop to listen to the consumer. The best sales people understand that sales is a discussion between the company and the customer. They know it’s really all about developing and maintaining relationships. If your sales representatives aren’t listening to your customers, how will they ever be able to understand and meet their needs? Hire the best sales people, grow your sales, and meet your financial goals.

Conduct comprehensive interviews.

In order to determine whether a candidate is a good fit for your company, you need to consider personality. Have a conversation with the candidate. Ask questions that will reveal personality traits. Utilize evaluation tools to assess whether or not a candidate’s personality matches the traits required on the job. There are assessments available that can measure specific sales skills and knowledge. Ask questions that will reveal their sales experience. When interviewing candidates for a sales position, look for people who are passionate about sales. You want to hire people who are eager to succeed and continue to grow. Conduct thorough interviews to find the best sales people. 

Claire McConnachie Recruiter

Claire McConnachie

Claire has 4+ years of experience in sales and recruitment. As a Director of Client Services, her main objective is to connect great people to great companies by building strong relationships with both top clients and candidates in the sales industry. She specializes in sales roles of all seniority levels for both enterprise and start-up clients North American wide. When Claire isn't networking with top talent, she enjoys being outdoors, traveling and spending time with friends & family.

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