If you’re expanding your sales team or creating one from scratch, it’s quite obvious that your motivation lies in growth and driving more business. According to Forbes, four words represent what every good salesperson should strive to achieve: “Bold vision, bold behaviour.”
From your point of view, you can break this down even further while you look for the right salesperson for your company. If you find someone who can demonstrate vision and displays the behaviour you expect from all of your employees, you’re off to a winning start with your recruitment.
Here are several tips on how to ensure you employ the sort of salesperson you’re looking for.
Define the ideal candidate
Before drawing up a job description, make sure you review your current business needs and strategies. Do you need someone ingrained with knowledge about your product or service, or an individual who has a solid bank of contacts within your industry? Are you looking to hire someone similar to a previous or existing employee, or a salesperson with a different kind of skill set?
When sifting through applications and interviewing candidates, consider your customers, who they would most likely to do business with, and what sort of person they will expect to meet from your company.
This is where ‘behaviour’ becomes imperative. You may need someone who reflects your company ethos, so look out for the key traits you cherish in all of your employees, as well as these essential salesperson qualities, when you meet candidates.
Clarify expectations
Be firm from the start, and don’t be afraid to push a candidate during interview. The right salesperson will be resilient and demonstrate strong integrity when challenged. You do want someone who won’t shy from pressure, but you want to avoid a person who will say anything to make a sale (or get a job) while knowing that, in actuality, they can’t deliver.
The right salesperson should have taken the time to learn about your company, what it does and what it stands for. They will be able to explain how and why they are the right fit for your company and clearly define how their experience and philosophies will combine to deliver your goals.
Once you are certain you have found a salesperson who demonstrates the behaviours you expect from employees and who shares in your company’s vision, you’re ready to put them to work.
Identify training needs
As your new salesperson integrates into your company, you will no doubt pinpoint areas where they will benefit from additional knowledge or require extra training.
Of course, they will naturally learn from your own experience and grow as the company progresses. However, with sales being such a niche – and essential – area of any business, they will benefit much more from expert, specialist training that delivers results.
At Impel Dynamic, we have sales training experts with a track record of delivering essential skills to salespeople who deliver exceptional results. Call us on 020 3859 0707 to find out more about our training options.