What to Look for When Hiring a Salesperson

A good sales team can propel your business to success

Running a successful business in today’s commercial climate requires a significant amount of consideration for a variety of needs. From marketing to company values, a savvy business leader needs to not only make the right decisions, but also must surround themselves with stellar individuals that help the company grow and thrive. To that end, building a strong sales team can be a major boon that can set your company apart from its competitors.

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You Should Hire Good Salespeople from the Start

If you’re a budding business owner looking to begin the process of building your sales team, you should understand how important a good sales team can be right from the get go. Just as customer retention and product marketing are paramount to your company’s overall success, being able to hire the right salesperson for the job can also have a huge impact. That’s because not only are they tasked with getting your goods and services out the door, but they also represent your brand. They serve as the front line when it comes to dealing with the general public. By knowing what to look for when hiring a salesperson, you can ensure that daily interactions go smoothly and your company consistently puts its best foot forward.

Your sales team can also help build customer confidence in your brand, drive them to the products they need, and ultimately move a buyer past the consideration phase and into a final sale. Past studies have shown that even though prospective customers can be wary of sales pitches, they typically want to engage with sales at different stages of the buyer’s journey. According to research conducted by HubSpot, 19% want to connect with a salesperson as they’re first learning about a product, 60% are willing to chat with sales after conducting some research, and 20% want to reach out as they’re getting ready to make their purchase. Each of those stages are critical for any business’s sales efforts. 

By having the right salespeople in place, you can create an environment where customers immediately feel comfortable with your company while being guided down the purchasing funnel to an eventual sale.

What Are Some Traits You Want in a Salesperson?

Though no two businesses are exactly the same and what makes a good salesperson may vary wildly, there are some traits that set the good ones apart from the rest. These qualities are what I look for when hiring a new salesperson.

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• Intelligent and Strategic. The path to becoming a successful salesperson demands more than just knowing how to sell a product. Over the years, I’ve found that the best sales hires understand the importance of connecting their work to the company’s overall goals. By having a firm grasp on their place within the company—and the importance their work has to its overall success—a good salesperson can leverage funnel metrics to find and establish long-term relationships with clients. A strong salesperson can ultimately meet or exceed their quotas.
• A Strong Competitive Drive. The best salespeople are naturally highly competitive. They strive to meet and exceed quotas. They want to be the best in the company. They want to motivate their fellow representatives to bring in more sales and strive for success, not only for the betterment of the company, but also to propel themselves into the upper echelons of great salespeople.
• Highly Organized and Disciplined. The best sales teams require their members to manage their time effectively. While they must prioritize work and focus on making their next sale, a good salesperson is in control of their calendar. They know when their next sales pitch is scheduled, who needs to get a call back, and when. Any non-selling activities are delegated to other individuals so they can properly prioritize the work ahead.
• Collaborative by Nature. No one salesperson can drive an entire organization's success. It takes multiple salespeople to generate a successful quarter. Not only that, but your sales team should also work closely with other departments within your company to ensure that their efforts don’t hinder other ongoing initiatives.
• Willing to Learn and Accept Feedback. Sales is not an easy job. Customer tastes change, trends shift, quotas must be met, and new technologies constantly change the way people do business. Keeping up with the times is important. A good salesperson is also capable of receiving and acting on feedback. Constructive feedback is an essential part of personal growth, and a salesperson should welcome feedback to refine their skills more effectively. The sooner a salesperson puts the feedback they’ve received into action, the better they’re going to be for your overall team.
• Strong Communication Skills. A good salesperson not only needs to be able to quickly and easily describe what they’re selling, but they also need to explain why the customer needs it and the outcomes the customer will achieve. They not only have to be good at speaking, but listening skills are equally important. Communication skills also include being able to reach out to prospective buyers via email, phone and message. Knowing what makes an effective email and being able to write well can go a long way if you’re looking for a salesperson that can best represent your company.
• Can Connect with Others. Empathy is an important quality for salespeople. The ability to easily understand and navigate the way a customer is feeling is important. After all, salespeople spend most of their professional time speaking with prospective customers and colleagues. Being able to relate to a person’s unique situation means a good salesperson can more accurately determine what a customer needs.
• Past Successes. When searching for a new salesperson, you want to get a sense of their drive. One way to do that is to find out about their biggest successes in sales. It’s not enough to simply meet monthly or quarterly quotas. You want someone who was consistently at the top of their company’s sales department—someone who regularly outperformed their colleagues. There are a number of metrics you can ask about, including: annual recurring revenue, conversion rate, time to close, ramp time, and average profit margin, to name a few. The best salespeople will be able to outline their past successes and will be more than willing to showcase them at your request.

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Finding the Right Fit for Your Sales Team Matters

When it comes to finding the right staff for any position at your company, it all really depends on the kind of experience you’re looking to provide. No two companies are the same and your values may differ drastically from your competitors’. Still, knowing what makes a good salesperson in today’s commercial landscape can improve your company’s standing and bolster revenue. By taking some extra time today to choose the right salesperson for your team, you can position your business toward success.

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