{"id":1868,"date":"2020-05-28T08:41:43","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T08:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/?p=1868"},"modified":"2020-06-05T15:42:07","modified_gmt":"2020-06-05T15:42:07","slug":"hiring-a-salesperson-who-fits-your-company-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/hiring-a-salesperson-who-fits-your-company-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiring a Salesperson Who Fits Your Company Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>One of the most important decisions you can make as a business owner is who to hire on your sales team. Sales isn\u2019t a skill that is easy to measure objectively, which can make hiring the right people a difficult task. But your business won\u2019t grow unless you have great salespeople on your team bringing in <a href=\"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/develop-key-accounts-to-increase-revenue\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=blog&amp;utm_content=develop-key-accounts-to-increase-revenue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(and keeping) customers<\/a>. They need to have certain qualities, but also fit in well with your existing team. So how can you hire a salesperson who is the perfect fit for your company?<\/p>\n<p>Read on to find out:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>For Hiring a Salesperson: Use a Search Firm or Do It Yourself?<\/h2>\n<p>Sales hiring begins with deciding whether you need professional help or are capable of doing the hiring yourself. Either approach can work if you have a good process and execute it well. <strong>For purposes of this blog, we\u2019ll assume you are doing it yourself,<\/strong> but you\u2019ll want to use a process that is similar to the better recruiting firms. And for either route you take, be prepared to put in some time and effort.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Six Tips for Hiring a Great Salesperson for Your Company<\/h2>\n<h3><strong>1. Start with Knowing What You\u2019re Looking For<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>You can\u2019t hire a salesperson successfully if you can\u2019t describe what you want. Think about your very best salespeople and <a href=\"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/five-characteristics-that-make-a-great-salesperson\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=blog&amp;utm_content=five-characteristics-that-make-a-great-salesperson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">what made them successful.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Think of it in terms of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>experience (ideally someone who has worked in sales)<\/li>\n<li>skills<\/li>\n<li>behaviors<\/li>\n<li>attitude<\/li>\n<li>personality<\/li>\n<li>education<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Rank these and describe them in writing. Then, <strong>think about your must haves<\/strong> &#8211; \u00a0things that are essentially non-negotiable &#8211; and your <strong>optional items &#8211; things that are a plus but not a requirement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019ve created this profile, share it with other key members of leadership, sales managers, and key sales reps for their input.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Describe the Sales Roles &amp; Responsibilities for Your Company<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This is where the process for hiring a salesperson begins.<\/p>\n<p>If your candidate profile describes the kind of salesperson who can succeed at your company, then the job description will spell out <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/effective-accountability-in-sales\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=blog&amp;utm_content=effective-accountability-in-sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">what they will be held accountable for<\/a> doing and accomplishing for your company.<\/strong> Think of both day-to-day responsibilities and the big picture of what they will be expected to contribute to your business.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, don\u2019t forget to <strong>include how and where they will fit into your sales organization \u2013 who they will report to, what their territory will b<\/strong>e, etc. A firm grasp on responsibilities and expectations helps set the stage for a successful search.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Develop a Strong Job Posting<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Now it\u2019s time to create a job posting that will attract the best candidates to your company. Your job posting should reflect your company and be compelling, professionally written, and free of errors.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re stuck for what to include, take a <strong>look at the postings of your competitors. Are you offering a lower salary<\/strong>, fewer benefits, or using too much vague language? Then the top salespeople in your area will head to those other companies, and you\u2019ll be left behind.<\/p>\n<p>Be clear about what the ideal candidate looks like in your posting to increase the odds of attracting the right person. This includes which traits would fit well with your company culture.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also important to be sure your job descriptions are up to date and accurate.<\/p>\n<p>The farther you <strong>spread the word about your job opening, the more quality applicants<\/strong> you can attract. Post the job on relevant job boards.<\/p>\n<p>And don\u2019t forget about <strong>the power of social media \u2013 especially in industry-relevant groups.<\/strong> Your current employees may have good referrals to make too, so let them know about the opening and the job description.<\/p>\n<p>And finally don\u2019t just post the bare facts of the job \u2013 <strong>make a case for why an applicant would want to work<\/strong> for your company.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. Look for Key Qualities<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Of course, a salesperson must be effective at selling, as a given. And even though salespeople should be clear and persuasive communicators, they don\u2019t need to be extroverts.<\/p>\n<p>You want to get a sense of how they work with others, especially if you have a large sales team already. Will they be both a great salesperson and a great team member?<\/p>\n<p>Look for less-traditional sales qualities too. If you\u2019re in an industry where you have to work harder to convince customers they need your product or service, you will want to see if your potential salespeople are creative.<\/p>\n<p>Hiring the right people also means avoiding the bad hires. They can cost you valuable time, money, and drive off customers even in a short time. Read our blog post on <a href=\"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/are-you-scaring-away-customers\/\">how a salesperson can scare away customers<\/a> to learn about behaviors to avoid when you\u2019re hiring.<\/p>\n<p>Resumes, cover letters, and the initial phone screen can tell you some of these characteristics, but the interview (in person or via video conferencing) is an invaluable piece of the puzzle.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. Interview Carefully<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Interviewing candidates is a critical step once you\u2019ve sorted through the resumes. Interviews are useful for both sides \u2013 you&#8217;re checking to see if the candidate is a good fit, and the candidate is looking to see if the position is right for them.<\/p>\n<p>You want be honest about the company culture, job expectations, salary, and benefits.<\/p>\n<p>But don\u2019t spend the whole interview talking \u2013 it&#8217;s also a critical time to ask plenty of questions and listen to the answers. <strong>Good communication skills are essential for salespeople<\/strong>, so ask interview questions designed to elicit in-depth answers.<\/p>\n<p>Ask the candidate:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>why they\u2019re leaving their current position<\/li>\n<li>what they\u2019re looking for in a new role<\/li>\n<li>about mistakes they\u2019ve made and how they handled them<\/li>\n<li>if they have any questions \u2013 an engaged and prepared candidate is more likely to have thoughtful questions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Curiosity is critical on both sides, but spontaneous conversation can tell you a lot about a candidate as well!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Having candidates interview with multiple people at your company<\/strong> can also be helpful. A good salesperson should be able to build rapport with your leadership, but also others on your sales team as well. Look at <a href=\"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/how-to-take-a-360-approach-to-transform-your-sales-team\/\">the big picture for building a strong sales team<\/a> and decide how the candidate will fit into those efforts.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>6. Follow Up Fast<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A really great salesperson who is looking for a new job is going to be a hot commodity on the market. Once you have some potential candidates who seem like a great fit, you want to keep them engaged.<\/p>\n<p>This means letting them know right away if you\u2019re interested in moving further in the hiring process, and keeping them informed through every step. This way, you can avoid time gaps that would lead a good sales candidate to take another offer.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>We Can Help with Hiring a Salesperson<\/h2>\n<p>Helping business leaders grow their companies and overachieve their sales goals is our passion.<\/p>\n<p>Let our team of experts help you find the right people for your team and get your company reaching record-breaking sales. Schedule your FREE consultation by <a href=\"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/contact-us\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=blog&amp;utm_content=contact-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">filling out our contact form.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/illustrations\/hand-congratulations-presentation-648443\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Image Attribution<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the most important decisions you can make as a business owner is who to hire on your sales team. Sales isn\u2019t a skill that is easy to measure objectively, which can make hiring the right people a difficult task. But your business won\u2019t grow unless&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1876,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[222],"tags":[224,223,225],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1868"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1868"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1889,"href":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1868\/revisions\/1889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/360consultingdfw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}