Running a business means making sure that all of the moving parts are running smoothly and all of the departments are well staffed. One of the hardest departments to staff and to keep successful is a sales team — the turnover rate for which is a startling 40% per year. Keeping a good sales team starts with the hiring process. Many small business owners choose to use sales staffing agencies to hire people for sales jobs, but it is something you can do yourself — if you do it the right way. Here are three fool-proof tips for hiring sales people.
1. Use all of your resources.
The first thing you need to know is that it’s a mistake to only look at a candidate’s resume and cover letter. Of course these are the things you should look over and consider first, but these days there are a lot more avenues for finding out more about a person. Check out the candidate’s profiles on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to check things out and look for red flags.
2. Look for the right mix of qualities in a candidate.
After you’ve looked at a candidate’s resume and cover letter and have checked out any other information available to you, conduct the interview. Finding the right sales person doesn’t just mean hiring someone with the most sales experience. Good sales people have charismatic personalities, are persistent and outgoing, and smart. Also look for a tech savvy candidate and one who has good research skills.
3. Avoid making a snap decision.
One of the reasons that small businesses turn to sales staffing agencies for their hiring processes is that hiring a candidate takes time and needs to be done somewhat often — since 40% of sales professionals in the U.S. miss quota and another 22% are untrainable. Hiring a sales person isn’t something that should be taken lightly and should be done with careful consideration, no matter how much time it takes.
Do you have any other tips for hiring the right sales people? Feel free to share them with us in the comments section below.
