SMAART Recruitment
World Class Ways To Hire Sales Reps

Jayce Grayye • Aug 22, 2022

World Class Ways To Hire Sales Reps

Sales is a vital component of any business. With no sales, there would be no ROIs and no business. Therefore, it’s essential to have good salespeople on your team.


As a result, businesses spend massive amounts of money on hiring new salespeople. They must pay for recruitment, training, and salaries, all while risking the loss of revenue if they can’t find the right people. 



But how to hire sales reps? Here are a few things one must consider when hiring salespeople. 


1. Select The Right Candidate (Read Their Applications Carefully)

It’s essential to select the right candidates when you’re hiring salespeople for your company. After all, not everyone is cut out for sales. You want to ensure that you’re hiring people with the right skills and qualities necessary for success in sales. 


When you’re reviewing applications, pay close attention to the skills and qualifications that are listed on the candidate’s resume. The candidate should not only have experience in sales, but they should also have a solid track record of success.


In addition, pay close attention to the candidate’s cover letter and resume, including the quality of the language. This will give you a good idea of the candidate’s communication skills and attention to detail, which are essential skills for successful salespeople.

2. Enthusiasm For Their Work

One of the essential qualities of a salesperson is enthusiasm. After all, sales is a people business and a very competitive field. Successful salespeople have a positive attitude and are passionate about what they do. 


So, when you’re interviewing potential sales candidates, pay attention to their energy level. They should seem genuinely excited about the opportunity to work for your company. 


You should also ask them questions about their motivation for wanting to work in sales. If they have a genuine interest in making a difference, it’s a good indication that they’ll be successful working with the sales team.

3. Business Savviness

In addition to having good energy, it’s also important that your salespeople have a good understanding of the business. They should know the ins and outs of the industry and be able to understand the products or services that they’re selling.


This is important because customers often have questions about the product or service. If your salesperson doesn’t understand the product well, they won’t be able to answer these questions effectively, and this will likely cost you the sale.


Consider giving your candidates a quiz about your company or products to test their business acumen. It’s also a good idea to ask them questions about how they would handle certain situations in an interview. 

4. Communication Skills

Another important quality for a salesperson is strong communication skills. If they can’t communicate their pitch, they will not be very successful. 


When interviewing potential salespeople, pay attention to how they communicate, verbally and otherwise. A good salesperson will have open and confident body language. They will answer directly and concisely. They make eye contact and smile when they’re talking to you.


The best way to assess a candidate’s communication skills is to have them do a mock sales pitch. This will give you an idea of how well they can communicate with their product or service. If they can do so effectively—congratulations! You may have found the right one. Here at Jayce Grayye we also have a blog where you can find other interview questions to ask to ensure you hire the best sales reps.

5. Attitude Over Skills

When you’re working with head hunters near you to hire salespeople, it’s important to remember that attitude is more important than skills. Skills can be taught, but attitude is hard to change. 


For instance, if you’re interviewing two candidates and one has better sales skills but a worse attitude, go with the candidate who has the better attitude. With the proper motivation and training, the right candidate can develop the necessary sales skills you need.


Always look for people who are positive, coachable, and have a good work ethic. These are the people who will be the most successful in sales. Once you have found someone with the right attitude, you can train them on the skills they need to succeed.

6. Look For Relevant Experience

It’s also essential to look for experience that is relevant to the job. Just because someone has sales experience doesn’t mean they will be a good fit for your company. 


For example, hiring someone who has sold software before would be beneficial if you’re looking for a salesperson to sell software. They will already understand the product and the industry, which will make them more resourceful in their new role.


The skills required for each position are different, so you want to ensure you’re hiring someone with the right skills for the job. If someone has experience in operations or marketing you may want to dig a little deeper to see if they had any sales experience within those positions.

7. A Hunter Mentality

The best salespeople have what’s known as a “hunter mentality.” They’re always looking for new business opportunities and are not afraid to cold call or knock on doors. 


A salesperson with a hunter mentality will proactively seek out new leads and customers. They’re always looking for ways to increase sales and grow the business. If you’re hiring salespeople, you want to ensure that they have this mentality. 


When interviewing, ask your candidates for examples of when they’ve had to hunt for new business. This will give you insight into their sales process and how they handle challenges. 

8. A Willingness To Learn

The best salespeople are always willing to learn new things. They’re not afraid to try new sales techniques or experiment with different approaches. 


When interviewing potential salespeople, ask them about their willingness to learn. Do they keep up with the latest industry news? Are they open to trying new things?


You should also ask them about a time when they had to learn something new. This will help you with getting an in-depth understanding of their learning style and how they handle change.

9 Flexible In Their Behavior

As with any job, there will be times when things don’t go according to plan. The best salespeople can adapt their behavior to the situation. 


For example, if a customer is difficult, the best salesperson will know how to change their approach to close the deal. They’re not afraid to think outside the box and are always looking for new ways to succeed.

 

When interviewing potential salespeople, ask them about a time when they had to change their approach. This will help you know their behavioral flexibility and how they handle difficult clients or situations.


Looking for people who will fit in with your company’s culture is essential. After all, they will be representing your company, and you want them to reflect your values. Therefore, avoid people who are stuck in their ways and unwilling to adapt.

10. Able To Gather And Use Psychographic Data

To be successful in sales, it’s essential to understand your target market. The best salespeople know how to gather and use psychographic data to improve their chances of success. 


Psychographic data is information about a person’s psychological profile. This can include things like their values, attitudes, and lifestyle choices. By understanding this data, salespeople can more effectively target their prospects and close more deals. 


For example, if you’re selling to small businesses, the best salesperson will know how to gather data on the decision-makers. They’ll know what their pain points are, and they’ll be able to tailor their sales pitch accordingly.

 

When interviewing potential salespeople, ask them about their process for gathering psychographic data. Do they have a system for collecting this information? Do they use it to improve their sales techniques? If so, these are good signs.

11. Emotional Intelligence

The best salespeople are able to understand and control their emotions. They know how to use emotional intelligence to better connect with their customers and close more deals.


This is a critical skill in sales. If a salesperson can’t control their emotions, they’re likely to make rash decisions that could cost the company money.


When you’re interviewing candidates, pay attention to their emotional intelligence. See if they’re able to keep their emotions in check.


In addition, see if the candidate can read other people’s emotions. This is another essential skill for salespeople. They need to understand what the customer is feeling and what they want. 

12. Rapport With The Customer

Another essential quality to look for in a salesperson is a good reputation. After all, you want to make sure that the people you’re hiring are known for being honest and ethical. You don’t want to hire someone known for being a “used car salesman” type of person.

 

There are a few ways to check on someone’s reputation. One way is to ask around. Talk to other businesses in your industry and see if they’ve heard of the salespeople you’re considering hiring.


Another way is to search on Google or social media. See if there are any negative articles or reviews about the salespeople you’re considering.


So, how do you hire good sales people? It’s not always easy to find the right people. The best salespeople are knowledgeable about their products, able to build a strong rapport with their customers, enthusiastic and emotionally intelligent, and able to close deals. Keep these things in mind, and you’ll be on your way to building a successful sales team. Jayce Grayye Consulting & Recruiting can assist with all of your hiring needs. Get in touch today!

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