| Hiring sales professionals is always challenging. Most | | | | transaction? While screening candidates, try to |
| candidates seem qualified for your open position, | | | | uncover experience that indicates that they will be |
| particularly if they are given the opportunity to sell | | | | successful in your company's buyer-seller dynamics. |
| themselves face-to-face or over the phone. Without a | | | | 6. Sales Process Metrics: What metrics define |
| distinct framework as a reference point, it's easy to | | | | success for this position? Whether it's number of cold |
| misjudge a candidate's qualifications for the job, | | | | calls per day, average deal size, or number of deals |
| particularly in a sales role where qualifications are not | | | | concurrently in the pipeline, how do you measure you |
| as objective as they are for an engineer or an | | | | current sales team? Of those metrics, what would be |
| accountant. Defining the requirements for your open | | | | considered average and what would be outstanding? |
| sales position before you begin to screen candidates | | | | How do you expect this hire to be performing at 1 |
| will exponentially improve your screening efforts. | | | | month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years? |
| These ten tips will help you define your open role in | | | | Defining these expectations up front will quickly show |
| order optimize your sales recruiting process, weed out | | | | which candidates simply won't measure up. |
| candidates that aren't a fit, and ensure that you find | | | | 7. Environment, Infrastructure, & Culture: Does |
| the best possible candidate for the job. | | | | your company offer training? Is it a nature or nurture |
| 1. Define Success: Begin with a simple overview of | | | | environment? How would you define your team |
| your own sales process and current sales team. What | | | | dynamics? How is your management team |
| defines success for them? What motivates success | | | | structured? What tools and support are offered for |
| within your company? Thinking along these lines will | | | | this position? Though often the most overlooked |
| allow you to screen out candidates whose definitions | | | | aspect of sales hiring, environment can be the most |
| of success are incompatible with yours; for example, if | | | | crucial. While the best salespeople are often outliers, it's |
| your sales team prides itself on its outstanding ability to | | | | important to hire someone that will be a great fit with |
| meet customer needs, you may not want to hire a | | | | your company's culture and support systems. |
| candidate who defines success solely by his | | | | 8. Sales Team, Process, & Activities: What's the |
| commissions. | | | | most important part of your sales process? Where do |
| 2. The Value Proposition: For this role, how important is | | | | your company's leads come from? How are they |
| the articulation of your value proposition? Is your value | | | | qualified? What happens after a salesperson lands an |
| proposition easily understood or must it be explained in | | | | account? Which activities occupy most of your sales |
| depth? What backgrounds produce candidates that | | | | team's time and why? Where do you expect this hire |
| adapt well to your value proposition? These subtle | | | | to focus most of his or her time? Many sales hires fail |
| details allow you to look for common threads that can | | | | due to miscommunication about the sales process. |
| govern your resume screening process. | | | | Ask candidates about their specific activities to |
| 3. The Buyer: Whom do you sell to? Who are the | | | | uncover hidden expectations; for example "what's the |
| relevant decision makers? How crucial is a deep | | | | first thing you do after hanging up the phone with a |
| understanding of your buyer's industry for this position? | | | | prospect?" |
| Is the candidate expected to have sold to these | | | | 9. Territory, Quota & Compensation: How much |
| decision makers in the past? Is he or she expected to | | | | travel is required? How are territories defined? What |
| have a book of business? Defining your expectations | | | | are the on-target earnings for the first two years? |
| for the candidate's understanding of the buyer allows | | | | How do they break down in terms of base salary, |
| you to eliminate many potential candidates. | | | | commissions, bonuses, and equity? While these |
| 4. Product & Product Complexity: Is your sale | | | | attributes create an objective filter, take care not to |
| consultative or transactional? How many products will | | | | eliminate under-qualified candidates; good sales |
| this hire sell? To what degree can the product be | | | | professionals should always be looking for a step up in |
| customized and what technical knowledge is required | | | | territory, quota, and compensation, not a step |
| for that customization? What products should the ideal | | | | sideways. |
| candidate have sold in the past? Product-specific | | | | 10. Company Selling Points & Other: What's the |
| experience can be an important consideration in your | | | | best part of working for your company? What |
| screening process, but keep in mind that candidates | | | | attracts people to your firm? What does a candidate |
| outside your industry who have sold to similar decision | | | | need to understand about your strategy, history, and |
| makers may also be a fit. | | | | future and why? Why should any candidate choose |
| 5. Client Relationship Dynamics: To what extent does | | | | your position over any other? Highlighting the best |
| the prospect share information with your sales | | | | parts of your open position will help you cast a wide |
| representatives? Is the intended relationship with the | | | | net to attract a diverse pool of both passive and |
| client a full partnership, a semi-customized product, or a | | | | active candidates. |