Apr6
How To Hire Great Sales Reps
Posted by Nick in Sales Training To Improve Sales Results | 0 Comments
File under hire, salespeople
Advice On How To Hire Great Sales Reps
By, Nick Moreno
Sales Managers are only as good as the sales reps that report to them. Even the best Sales Manager in the word can’t succeed if their team lacks the skill to generate success. The key is to hire great sales reps, focus on development and insure those reps remain motivated. I have some advice for you on how to hire great sales reps because that task must be a top priority.
Solid Recruiting Is How To Hire Great Reps
Before you can hire a great salesperson, you need to find him or her. Here is a strategy that worked well for me. Whenever I lost a large order (it happens), I would call the competing sales rep that won the business. I would congratulate that rep for a job well done. In fact, I would congratulate them more than their own manager did! That’s how you start hiring great sales reps. You need to contact them first.
Whenever I had an open position, I would call those reps and invite them to a lunch interview. During the interview, I would make a point about working for a company that appreciated their skills. I urge you to use this strategy for recruiting and hiring top sales reps.
If you expect to hire great sales reps you need to understand the qualities of great sales reps. This video will help you to hire great sales reps.
How To Hire Great Sales Reps Video
Customers Will Help You Hire Great Sales Reps
You should also contact your customers and let them know you are looking to recruit a top sales reps. Ask your customers for the name of any salesperson that impressed them. This is just one more way to hire great sales reps.
Focus On Your Needs
Too many Sales Managers focus on “gut feelings” when hiring sales reps and that’s a good way to get into trouble. Forget feelings and stay disciplined. Develop a list of skills and traits that you want to see in your next great sales rep. During your interviews, probe your candidates for evidence that they possess those skills and traits. Stay disciplined during the hiring process and you’ll be well on your to hiring a great sales rep.
Hire Great Sales Reps That Are Hunters
Many salespeople have great “numbers” because they were able to live off one or two accounts. If you are looking for hunters, you must obviously avoid hiring this type of sales rep. Your focus should be on prospecting skills and existing contacts. This is the key on how to hire great sales reps. Never hire a sales rep that is not focused on development and professional sales training.
Hire Great Sales Reps By Asking The Right Questions
When I was a Sales Manager, I needed salespeople that could get appointments with “C” level executives. I didn’t use any special strategy to identify this trait during interviews. I asked them the right questions. I simply asked the candidates how many “C” level appointments could they secure during their first week of employment. Then, I would ask the candidates to name those “C” level executives so that I could verify what I was just told. There is no room for error when hiring great sales reps.
Employee Development
I want to make a very important point about building a first class sales team. Hiring great sales reps is not a substitute for an ongoing employee development program. Even top salespeople can benefit from sales training. You build a top sales team by placing sales skills at the center of your team’s culture.
If you are investing in hiring top sales reps, you must also maintain them via employee development. Insure your team is always learning new sales techniques and sharing best practices.
I hope this advice on how to hire great sales reps will help you in your quest to build a first class organization.
To your overwhelming sales success!
Nick Moreno, Sales Consultant
National Sales Center, Sales Training Company
