People call me everyday looking for the silver-bullet for hiring good salespeople. However, they fail to realize the specific nature of the sales role for which they are hiring. A salesperson may perform exceedingly well in one type of sales role and fail miserably in another.
Defining your sales role first is critical to the hiring process. If it’s not well defined, then you’ve got a really good chance of hiring a good salesperson and setting them up for failure. Here are some questions you need to answer before you begin your hunt for a top performer.
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Is the sales position more prospecting-oriented or more farming-oriented? This is a problem many salespeople face. They’re more of a farmer, but are required to hunt. They’re not wired for this type of sales role and they fail.
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Will this sales position be located in a central office or geographically dispersed? Working from an office with many fellow co-workers is quite different than working from home or a small satellite office. More self-starting and independence is required from salespeople who are removed from the main office.
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Is this sales positions compensation plan weighted more towards commissions or base salary? The higher the commissions, the more driven a salesperson must be to acquire those commissions. If not, they may rely more on a base salary. If you have a low base and a rich commission structure, be wary of salespeople who focus too much on “base-salary” questions in the interview. Typically, top performing “hunters” like a heavily weighted commission structure.
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Are they under close supervision of a Sales Manager – or are they on their own? There is a big difference between having a Sales Manager whose office is down the hall compared to one who is five states away. Be sure that you take into consideration the demands on a salesperson who is alone in a territory and the high level of self management required to do the job well.
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Do they engage in a team sell – or are they on their own? Do they turnover the account after the sale or will they service what they’ve sold? If they are strictly hunting for new business, then don’t expect the same results in your organization if they now have to service those accounts. Some salespeople are better at hunting and some are better at farming. Some can do both. Your job is to accurately and realistically define for the salesperson what the job requires. During the hiring process, you’ve got to explain it to them clearly so that they fully understand your expectations.
Different answers to these questions lead to different types of sales roles – even within the same organization. Your answers to these questions will help to define the type of salesperson to fill this role. Once you’ve defined the nature of the sales role, you’ll have the foundation for what you need to identify the right person to be successful in that role. This is not always easy nor does everyone always agree on the “non-negotiables” required for the role. However, getting as many of these questions answered will clear up a lot of confusion later. Remember, salespeople like clearly defined expectations – not fuzzy directives that constantly change.
Do yourself, your organization and your salespeople a favor by going through this list before you start your hiring process. You’ll be glad you did.
Barrett Riddleberger is an internationally recognized leader in the practice of sales assessment, sales training, sales recruitment and retention. His new book, “Blueprint of a Sales Champion,” details how organizations can find, train and retain top performing salespeople even in a highly competitive market. An accomplished lecturer, Riddleberger is also highly in demand as a business development and motivational speaker for organizations seeking to inspire their sales force. For more info go to www.ResolutionSystemsInc.com or www.BlueprintOfASalesChampion.com or call 336.665.0506
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