Claim: There are 10 million professionals in all types of sales jobs in North America as of 2015. True or False?

Answer: Technically, this claim is true, or at least half true. In reality, there are more than 22 million sales people in North America right now. If you’re trying to narrow down a new employee search to find that one perfect candidate, we’ll give you a moment to absorb that colossal factoid.

Claim: The best sales people improvise during sales calls. True or False?

Answer: This one’s false. Although being able to adapt to changing situations is a necessary skill for your sales toolbox, research shows that sales people who go into the room with a plan are more successful than those who just wing it.

About 60% of sales people go into a meeting with a detailed strategy in place. Moreover, those employees are a third more likely to close the deal than their improvising peers.

Claim: Almost 33% of all employees have been at their present sales jobs for less than a year. True or False?

Answer: Unfortunately, for managers everywhere, this claim is accurate. Not only have a third of all sales people only been with their company for a year, the turnover rate for sales teams is more than 40% each year.

So why is the turnover rate so high? First, not everyone is fit for the job he or she has. Only 22% of sales people can be trained adequately for their positions, and even fewer will actually provide a return on investment for their company. Second, employees are always chasing new sales career opportunities.

Claim: The cost of a hiring mistake can be six times that person’s salary. True or False?

Answer: Yes, in fact, research shows a hiring mistake costs between six and ten times a sales person’s salary.

Claim: Sales recruiting firms only help with the hiring process. True or False?

Answer: While it varies among sales recruiting firms, this is usually false. Most sales recruiting firms offer ongoing training in addition to screening and placing candidates. Some sales recruiting firms also help companies with sales management as well.

Claim: Old-fashioned skills like eye contact and a firm handshake are all a sales person needs to succeed. True or False?

Answer: Wrong again. Although you should never underestimate the power of a firm, high-quality handshake, the 21st century marketplace requires more technical skills. For example, 78% of sales people who fused their social media with their sales and marketing strategy outperformed those who didn’t (or couldn’t).

That being said, most experienced sellers agree that patience and perseverance are still the two most important qualities for a sales person to possess.

Claim: A highly disturbing four out of ten sales reps will give up after hearing “no” just once.

Answer: It’s true. An astounding 44% are either unwilling or unable to sort out the hard “no’s” from the “not right now’s.”

A survey of sales team leaders revealed that 63% of potential clients took three months to purchase, while 20% took a year or more to close deals with new customers.

While some of this information might make inexperienced sales managers anxious, it’s simply the hard reality of a competitive marketplace. Focus on using all the data you can find to stay ahead of your competition.