How to Hire a Salesperson

When hiring a salesperson, small business owners need to focus on one important issue:
finding the individuals who best sell themselves.

by Jeffrey Moses NFIB

If applicants can’t convince you that they’ll
perform well, how will they be able to convince customers to buy? For this reason, consider
the following points when speaking with applicants:

1. Does the applicant ask questions about your company, then listen to you and find out
your company’s needs? Or do they simply talk on and on about themselves? Salespeople
need to be listeners, not just talkers. If someone doesn’t make the effort to find out what you
need, they’ll probably treat customers the same.

2. During an initial phone conversation, does the applicant quickly work toward asking for a
face-to-face interview? If someone can’t close you, she may not be able to close a potential
customer.

3. Does the applicant have a personality that seems suited to the way you would like your
products presented? For instance, if your sales staff works solely by phone, does the
applicant have a pleasant and effective phone manner?

4. How does the applicant respond to direct, pointed questions? Ask the following: Have you
done research about our company and our products? What did you learn the last time a
customer turned you down? Did you have a good personal relationship with your last sales
manager? Were you successful in your last job, and if so, why did you leave?

5. After five to 10 minutes of conversation, the sales applicant should be describing exactly
how he or she will be able to work with you to present your company’s products. To do so
requires all the skills of a successful sales professional: drawing from you information and
details about your products, listening to your needs, planning with you for future marketing
efforts and closing the sale by assuming that they will be offered the position.

Interviewing is not easy. It requires your being subjective. Yet interviews are usually better
indicators of success than information you’ll find on a resume or list of personal
recommendations. A resume is important, of course, but a string of fancy titles or positions
with well-known companies doesn’t assure that a person will be able to sell your particular
products to your type of customer.

When conducting a face-to-face interview, include employees who will be working most
closely with the salesperson if hired. This could be a sales manager, a marketing director, a
product manager, etc. Don’t leave the hiring decision up to these individuals, however. As the
owner of the company, you should be fully involved in hiring of your salespeople.

If your company provides customers with a technical product or service, it’s certainly a plus
for a sales applicant to be experienced in that area. However, a good salesperson can adjust
to almost any situation or product, unless it’s highly technical. Hire for ability first, technical
knowledge second.

Before offering a position, fully discuss all salary, draws, commission schedules, benefits
and vacation/sick days. Make sure that the applicant understands these details and feels
comfortable working within the company’s salary parameters. Some salespeople thrive when
paid primarily by commission; others wilt under the pressure and require a stable salary
base.

Before making a hiring decision, introduce the potential hire to current employees. Afterward,
ask for their impressions. But remember that successful sales efforts do not depend solely
on charm, good looks, sharp dressing, a smooth voice or other outward features. These are
important, of course, but they don’t close sales. What you’re looking for is someone who can
move your product. By considering the intangibles of an applicant’s personality, as well as
the tangibles of resume content and experience in your industry, you’ll have the best chance
of making the right hiring decision.

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