Hiring terrible sales people isn’t difficult. All you have to do is follow these simple steps.

1. Write a Vague, Unprofessional Job Posting

The way your write your job posting for a sales position will determine the kinds of applicants you get. If you write a professional, specific job posting that details the job’s qualifications, potential for growth, necessary skills, and requirements, readers of the job posting will assume you’re looking for ambitious, well-qualified sales people, and those are the people who will apply.

On the other hand, if you write a vague, typo-ridden job posting with little information, no promise of career growth, and few requirements, you’ll attract the kinds of sales people who can’t get jobs at the professional, ambitious companies. You’ll have a wide selection of ill-qualified sales people to choose from.

2. Let the Applicants Steer the Interview

Sales people are persuasive by nature, and it can be difficult to stay in control of job interviews at times. But if you’re intent on vetting your applicants, you’ll stay in control. You’ll have a thoughtful list of questions you have prepared ahead of time. These questions will be based on the specific position you’re hiring for, and it will help you to find the person with the traits, skills, and experience that your sales team is in particular need of.

When you’re trying to hire a terrible sales person, however, you’ll forget to think about your questions ahead of time, and you’ll let your interviewees ramble on about themselves. In this manner, you won’t find out why they were fired from their last job. You also won’t find out that they have absolutely no sales experience in your industry and that, in fact, the only real job they’ve ever had is pulling weeds for their Aunt Margaret.

3. Wait Until the Last Minute

Hiring for sales positions should be an ongoing process. Wise sales managers are always on the lookout for good sales people. They take advantage of social media networks, local business groups, and recommendations from clients to keep tabs on sales people who might make good additions to their team. Building relationships with these people will not only make your job easier when you have an opening on your team, but it will also put you into a great position to hire a high-quality sales person instead of just the first person who comes along.

Or you could hire the first person who comes along. If you’ve neglected to think about hiring until a sales person suddenly quits, you may find yourself in a bind. In your hurry to fill the vacancy, you will probably hire someone who is not quite up to the job and who won’t add much to your sales team. 

But you don’t have to hire a terrible sales person. In fact, it’s not difficult to avoid this problem if you simply write professional, specific job postings, keep control of the interview, and make hiring a part of your everyday activities.