Having a successful business starts with having great employees, but it can be hard to know when reviewing resumes and going through the interview process whether what’s presented to you in person and on paper will actually become a good employee.
Of course, every business wants to hire top-performing sales professionals. So, what can you do to make sure you are hiring the best of the best? What specific things should you be looking for that will translate into great employees?
Luckily, there are qualities that most successful salespeople will possess that you can screen for during the hiring process. While exceptional work experience and stellar references can help you confidently hire a seasoned pro, you may be missing out on an amazing talent who’s just at the start of their career if that’s all you focus on. Click here to see sales reps for hire.
Here are four qualities to look for when trying to hire great salespeople.
1. Effective Communication
Communication is central to the industry, no matter what type of sales you’re in. Employees need to understand the basics of effective communication to deliver your company’s message to potential clients and close the sale. They also need outstanding communication skills to network and grow existing relationships.
In most sales industries, written and verbal communication are extremely important, so you should look for both these things when hiring a new team member. It’s pretty easy to tell in an interview setting whether someone has effective communication skills, so you shouldn’t have to worry about this one too much.
2. Growth Mindset
If you are dedicated to your job, there is plenty of room for growth in a career in sales. Not only does this growth benefit the individual, but it also benefits the company. Looking for someone who has a hunger to grow and a desire to learn will ensure you hire someone who is will the job their all.
To assess whether a candidate has a growth mindset, ask them about their long-term goals, leadership style, ability to work as part of a team, and their desire to go above and beyond to reach goals.
3. Resilience
Sales is a tough industry that can come with a lot of rejection and setbacks. A good salesperson knows how to pick themselves back up each time and continue to push forward.
Ask your candidate how they’ve dealt with rejection and what their relationship is with setbacks and letdowns. From their answers you will be able to gauge whether they will have the resilience needed to excel in sales.
4. Passion
A salesperson must be committed to their work to close sales and foster positive, long-term relationships with clients. They must go above and beyond for each person they encounter and treat every client like their #1 priority. Like with any career, the best employees are the ones that are passionate about their work. If there is no passion, there will be no results.
To determine if a candidate is passionate about the potential role, ask them why they want to work for your company specifically and why they want to work in sales in general. Passion is hard to fake, so you should be able to tell whether someone is genuinely passionate or not.
