NFIB

How to Hire a Salesperson
04/ 01/ 2002

by Jeffrey Moses

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