When hiring a new salesperson, one of the biggest mistakes a manager can make is settling. It may seem like someone who fits most of the criteria you’re looking for will be good enough, but a less than ideal salesperson will raise a manager’s stress levels and lower a sales team’s productivity and morale. Here are a few ways to avoid hiring the wrong person:
“A manager should never hire someone out of desperation.”
1. Take your time It’s a high-pressure situation: One of your best salespeople left and your team is missing quotas by the day. You’re desperate. You need somebody now. No one seems good enough, but you take the best person you can find. It’s better than nothing, right? Wrong. According to Business2Community, a manager should never hire someone out of desperation. It doesn’t matter how much you need someone; hiring a bad fit won’t improve the situation. You will have to devote extra time to training them and making up for their shortcomings. You won’t want to fire that person because you fear it will make you look bad. Instead, you spend more and more time focusing on one person and less on the rest of your team. Be patient. You may be losing money without that extra body, but you’ll lose more in the long run if you hire the wrong person. 2. Know what you want Every company has unique needs. Hireology explained before you begin a hiring cycle, identify your team’s goals and know exactly what kind of salesperson will help you achieve them. Knowing key criteria will help you weed out candidates earlier and not waste time interviewing the wrong people. Sales compensation management software helps managers track top performers across a number of metrics. Doing so can help managers better understand the qualities to seek in hiring candidates. 3. Hire for passion Your candidate may have the skills, but does he have the passion? According to Forbes, managers should hire someone with a sense of purpose who makes customers understand how the product you’re selling will enrich their lives. It’s not only the candidate who should have passion during the interview: A passionate manager is key to building a great sales team. A passionate manager will make better people want to work with you and will attract other passionate, talented people.
Managers should look for someone with the right skills, but also for someone with passion.
4. Take resumes and interviews with a grain of salt Remember: Your candidates are there to market themselves. Hireology warned managers to look out for those who have embellished their resumes or who have made an effort to hide weaknesses. Keep in mind that a resume only highlights people’s achievements and never reveals where they fall short. Dig deeper: Speak to past managers. Hireology recommended going back at least 10 years. Make sure your candidate’s previous sales numbers are consistent with what he says in his interview. With sales compensation software, new hires can have direct access to the metrics they’re expected to hit each day and can even track their own progress. Compensation management software will facilitate a smooth transition and help managers motivate new employees.
