Any sales manager or human resources firm knows how difficult hiring sales people can be. Since sales team turnover is over 40 percent a year, hiring sales people is a problem for a number of companies. However, there are a number of things to look for in a good sales person.
For instance, charisma, resolve, and presentation are highly important. Sales people must look professional, speak clearly and politely, and be persistent but not pushy. Many people believe that recruiting firms look for people with the most experience, but as a whole, experience is second to high quality social skills and other warming traits.
If a company has several sales people for whom sales is and has been a career, those veterans can teach new recruits the ropes. Experience is something that comes with time and can be molded, and as such, many companies look for things like intelligence, learning ability, and how one presents him or herself.
There are over 22 million sales professionals in North America. The good ones know the product inside and out, are familiar with their prospects, and completely understand the needs of the business. In short, the best sales people are well rounded professionals.
Many times, once someone has a job in sales, he or she can move up within the company with good performance. Sometimes, executive search groups will notice star sales people and promote them to more senior positions. Most of the time, executive search professionals have a wide range of personal contacts in their industry or field of specialty, so even if someone doesn’t get the promotion immediately, their file can be marked for the future.
At the end of the day, a career in sales is hardly the safest or most secure career path. However, with hard work and good social skills, one can improve his or her chances in succeeding. In addition, companies can make the job of hiring sales people much easier by knowing what to look for in prospective employees.
