You’ve made the decision to hire for your sales team. This could be for a newly vacant spot or to expand on your ever-growing team. We field calls from clients every day that tell us: “I am ready to find a salesperson.” Awesome! We can help, but what does that really mean?
The first thing you need to do is really assess what type of salesperson you are looking for in your office. There is a broad spectrum on who could fit this bill. Your instinct tells you what an exceptional salesperson is, but it could be totally different from what the role and your business require.
Is it a “Hunter”? Someone who is pounding the phone, looking for the next sale. Or are you looking for someone that takes the time to build a customer relationship? Maybe they will bring potential clients in for a coffee to discuss their options. Both choices sound good, but which one is better suited for your office?
Ask Yourself.. honestly
When you begin your search for a sales candidate for your office, what is your initial vision for this position? Ask yourself the following questions before posting a job ad:
What is the environment in the office? Is it independent or team-oriented?
Is your sales team separate from Customer Service or does everyone have the same responsibilities?
What are the responsibilities for this role?
What skills are needed for this role?
Will this person be required to cold-call/telemarket?
Should this person be allowed to go out in the community to network during the week?
Will it be inbound or outbound sales? Or a combination of both?
Will this person be doing cross-selling or only be responsible for new business?
Will you require previous sales experience or are you willing to mentor/train someone with the right traits?
What are your sales goals for this position?
Will you invest in your future hire by reimbursing them for Property and Casualty licensing?
Do you have a payment plan that will motivate and drive your salespeople to succeed?
Here are a few details you also need to consider:
Culture fit
A candidate whose values, outlook, work ethic, and behaviors are congruent with those existing within the current organization is likely to be a good cultural fit to join the team.
How do you want them to sell or interact with clients?
If you like the way that your current staff engages with clients, you will want a new candidate to have a similar style. If your salespeople take their time in getting to know the clients and you feel that this is the best way to bring in business - then maybe a “Hunter” who puts a relationship low on their priorities may not flourish within your office.
Identify your personal management style
If you are more laid back, a strong sales personality may not be the right fit. They can challenge leadership at the best of times and need a firm boss/leader to rein them in.
If you and your team are a little more “hard-hitting”, then a laid-back approach to sales may not gel with your office environment.
Dealbreakers
Once you have answered these questions, it is important to ask yourself one more: out of these skills and requirements for the position, which ones are you willing to overlook and which ones are deal-breakers? You have to remember that you probably will not find the “perfect” person who fulfills all of your requirements. However, this does not mean you need to settle. The purpose of this question is to identify your hard and fast line on who you're willing to welcome into your office.
Remember
A “salesperson” is not a one-size-fits-all. You will have to figure out what you want so that you will not waste precious time on applicants that don’t fit the bill. Once you have figured out what you are looking for in a salesperson, write your job ad to reflect those qualities. You will find that if you are straightforward with your wants and needs for your office, it will be much easier when the candidates start applying to identify who you will move forward with and to identify that “ideal” candidate.
If you have any additional questions regarding this article please feel free to reach out, we are here to help.
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