Since sales people are trained in the art of persuasion,
hiring the right representatives for your sales team can be
difficult. In order to find an appropriate person to join a
sales team, it is imperative to develop a screening program that
clearly defines the candidate search process from beginning to
end.
This can be a lengthy process, but ultimately, having a formal
plan will help you hire an individual who will immediately fit into
your team, and not someone who you will pay to train and then not
work out. Having an interview plan also shows candidates that
the company is a quality employer.
WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA (WCF) offers these
solutions to hiring the right sales people:
Define the Organization’s Sales Profile. Many
companies define the job description but leave out the traits that
are necessary to be successful in the position. Determine what
experience and personality characteristics are crucial.
First, analyze how the sales team works in your
business. Does the sales department target a broad market with
cold calling? Is the market narrow with all relationship
building? Do you target prospects who often switch from one
vendor to another? Are you looking for someone to develop new
business or a person to maintain customer relationships?
Consider giving your successful team members a sales
assessment and use the results to pinpoint which behavioral
profiles are necessary to thrive on your team. Analyze the
following behaviors: confidence conducting follow-through, energy
level, optimism, assertiveness, resilience and social skills.
Once you establish the necessary qualities, discuss with the
current sales staff what performance requirements and type of
personality they think best match the position. This will help
you to validate if the traits and behaviors you identified are
correct.
Ask Candidates to Complete a Sales Assessment. An
assessment can identify behavioral skills and help eliminate
candidates who are not a match. Personality profiles often
look at whether the job seeker is a self manager; a good prospector
and closer; a people person; money- or challenge-focused, service-
or security- motivated; and independent.
Conduct a Structured Interview. Create a
standard set of interview questions, so you can easily compare all
candidates. One method that works well for sales candidates is
having candidates explain their first job as they entered the
workforce and continue with each position up to the
present. Probe each candidate for his or her responsibilities,
starting/ending salaries and why he or she left. Pay attention
to how the candidate reacts and compare the responses from each
position to analyze trends.
Continue the interview with questions about possible sales
scenarios common in your workplace, such as, what do you do if a
client cringes at the cost of our product? It may also be
helpful to ask the candidate to conduct a mock sales
call. Create the scenario and give the applicant a heads up
the day before the interview so he or she can prepare. Provide
the same amount of information that you would give to a current
member of your team before a cold call.
After testing scenarios, ask additional questions about the
candidate’s weaknesses displayed during the interview.
Hire for Behavior Over Experience.
Candidates who have lots of experience may not necessarily possess
the behavioral traits needed for the job; therefore, it’s more
important to hire for the behaviors that you identified in your
sales profile over experience.
Measure Success. After you hire an individual,
assess your interview plan. If you find you have not increased
sales or reduced employee turnover, revise the plan.
