Hiring Sales People? Whats Right For Your Organization
Hiring sales people for your organization can be a daunting task. One of the first things you should consider is what sales qualities can get results for your business. There are a lot of opinions out there, but I’ll make this as short as possible.
In sales, we always refer to the Pareto principle, which is the law of the vital few. We know it as the 80-20 rule, which espouses the idea that roughly 80% of the effect comes from 20% of the cause. In the world of sales, it means that 80% of the production usually comes from 20% of the sales eforts. Your job is hiring sales people that create a team made up entirely of those 20% producers.
So when hiring sales people, who are these sales people you what to hire who represent the top 20%? What do they look like? Will you know them when you
see them? Be warned: They all don’t have the gift of gab or an overwhelming personality. Some don’t even dress very well. What they do have is a strong internal motivation that you can’t teach and you can’t fake. They are salespeople because that’s what they want to be, that’s what they enjoy – and that’s what they’re good at.
These salespeople don’t all come with loads of experience. Some of the best salespeople I’ve hired had no sales experience at all. But they were motivated to succeed, and that’s what it takes. There are a lot of jobs out there where people can feign interest and still be successful. Sales isn’t one of them. The individuals you select to represent your organization must be motivated to learn and to win, and have skin thick enough to brush off rejection. Good salespeople are ego-driven. They have to succeed, not because you want or need them to, but because they have to sell just like a hungry man has to eat. Find these people and provide them with direction, coaching and the organizational structure that will allow them to succeed.
When Hiring Sales People, Know What Type of Salesperson You’re Looking For
The first step in hiring sales people and finding your future top producers is outlining precisely what you want them to do. I can’t tell you how many business owners and managers have told me they just want someone who can bring in business without requiring a hefty salary. Well, that’s a great plan, but it really doesn’t tell me (or your salespeople) exactly what you want them to do. Let’s say you’re a basketball coach and you need to find an additional player. The first step is deciding what you want the player to do. Do you need someone who has blazing speed with exceptional ball-handling skills and the ability to pass the ball, or do you need someone who’s tall and strong with the ability to get ten to fifteen rebounds a game and block the shots of anyone who comes in the lane? Both are basketball players, but they look different, play different – and have vastly different skills.
As a business owner or manager, you must first understand what you’re looking for in a salesperson and what exactly you need him or her to do for your business. Are you looking for someone who can take orders and answer questions over the phone? Does your ideal salesperson make 50 to 100 cold calls a day?
Is your sales process centered on a one-call-close, where the salesperson meets the prospect, builds report, makes a presentation and closes the deal in the same meeting? Or are you looking for someone who can meet the demands of a multi-call sales process that requires multiple contacts with the buyer? What about someone capable of managing a complex sale with a longer sales cycle, involving multiple decision makers and influencers?
When hiring sales people, you need to know if your dream salesperson needs excellent presentation skills and the ability to demonstrate why he or she can provide the best solutions to your customers’ problems?
Salespeople generally are divided into two categories: Hunters and Farmers. Although there are multi-talented individuals who fit into both categories, most salespeople (even great salespeople) excel at one over the other. Usually someone is either good at going out and finding new customers (hunters) or working with existing customers (farmers). Hunters love the challenge of chasing down new customers, but they aren’t as adept at cultivating the customer once they’ve planted the initial seed. Every day, they go out and look for new prospects they can convert into sales. They find them, close them and move onto the next one. If your business involves a more complex sales process, you may be interested in the farmer. They don’t wander off looking for the next sale; instead, they’re good at forming long-term relationships with clients, servicing their needs and finding additional sales opportunities.
So before you place a “help wanted” ad or peruse that first resume, you must define the precise type of salesperson you’re looking for. You may need the hunter, you may need the farmer – or you may need both in a single package.
Know Exactly What You Want the Salesperson to Do
Once you decide what type of salesperson you need, plan to spend about 30 to 90 days to find him or her. You must develop a plan prior to hiring, because hiring the wrong person could cost you and your organization time, revenue and unnecessary turnover. To better understand what you’re looking for, make a list of all of the potential salesperson’s duties. You may want to consider:
- How many cold calls they’ll have to make;
- What types of prospects you want them to call on;
- Whether they’ll have to visit existing customers;
- What you want them to accomplish in those visits;
- How many customer visits you expect them to make in a week;
- Whether they work in an assigned territory or go wherever they want;
- What type of experience you’re looking for;
- What other members of the organization they’ll interact with
- What those team members feel this salesperson should do
Once you’ve completed these steps, you should have a good idea of what makes a top producer for your company, as well as what type of salesperson you’re looking for and what you expect him or her to do. This goes a long way in making sure you hire sales people that are right for the job.
Related podcast:
SMW 004 Sales Recruiting – Hire The Right Sales Person Part One
SMW 005 Sales Recruiting – Hire The Right Sales Person Part Two
Related Articles:
Has Your Sales Planning Allowed You to Build Your Sales Team for Success?
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