10 Tips To Hire The Perfect Salesperson

Finding the perfect salesperson can feel like catching lightning in a bottle – there’s no guaranteed formula.

Writing good sales emails may be one thing, but hiring a sales professional is what does the trick. It requires a blend of skill, intuition, and maybe even a dash of good fortune.

But fear not! This guide will equip you with the steps to significantly increase your odds of landing a top performer.

In this article, we’ll explore how to position yourself to attract and hire a salesperson who will exceed expectations.

Table of Contents

The Importance of a Good Salesperson For Small Businesses

In the competitive world of small business, a skilled salesperson is the lifeblood that converts interest into sales. They are the bridge between your exceptional product or service and the customer’s specific needs.

Unlike larger businesses with established brands, small businesses rely on salespeople to build trust, understand customer pain points, and tailor solutions that resonate.

Here’s why hiring a good salesperson is crucial for your small business:

Building Relationships: They forge connections with potential customers, fostering trust and loyalty, transcending a single transaction.
Understanding Customer Needs: They can uncover a customer’s specific challenges and translate them into opportunities for your product or service.
Closing Deals and Growing Revenue: Their expertise lies in effectively communicating the value proposition and guiding customers toward a positive buying decision.
Identifying Upselling Opportunities: They have a keen eye for spotting additional needs and recommending complementary products or services, increasing revenue potential.
Cultivating Long-Term Customers: Their focus goes beyond the initial sale; they nurture relationships to secure repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

However, sales success isn’t solely dependent on a salesperson’s charisma.

Just as crucial is robust accounting software like ProfitBooks. This software streamlines financial tasks, tracks income and expenses, and generates insightful reports.

If you’re a small business looking to manage your finances while keeping your data secure on the cloud, get your 100% FREE account on ProfitBooks now!

Top 10 Timeless Tips For SMBs to Hire The Perfect Salesperson

There are certain signs that a good salesperson has, which sets them apart from the rest of the crowd.

In this section of the blog, we’ll go through the ten major signs that we’ve found through our own experience and by massive research put by our sales team by studying up everything you need to know about sales.

The following ten pointers will work as invaluable tips for small businesses to hire the perfect salesperson to drive revenue!

Tip 1: Know what you want in your salesperson, in and out

When employing salespeople, you will have to sort through a large number of applications. And I do not use the phrase “a lot” lightly.

We at ProfitBooks do a thorough background check, and for salespeople, we have a rapid-fire interrogation to understand the candidate in and out.

This is reflected in real life as well. Take the below report, for example.

According to the Jobvite 2019 Recruiting Benchmark Report, individual job postings in financial services garnered an average of 32 applications, while listings in information technology received 39.

Such data may be far lower than what you would anticipate from your company.

Run a fast LinkedIn search for “entry-level sales positions” in your region. There’s a strong possibility you’ll see some postings with more than 100 applications.

My point is that when employing salespeople, you may have to go through an ocean of resumes, so know what you’re looking for.

Tip 2: Define your job listing accurately

Whenever we post a job opening, we make sure of two things: posting on multiple platforms and clearing out any doubts the candidate may have in the job listing itself.

When the salesperson arrives for the interview and asks us questions that are already mentioned in the job listing, we instantly know that they haven’t read the listing properly.

This is a red flag.

It is vital to develop an accurate job ad since it helps candidates comprehend what the work tasks may be.

You can inquire with the human resources department about the position to confirm that the job listing you produce matches the position offered by the organization.

Consider seeking information on the amount of experience required for the candidate to be successful in the post.

You may also include information about the organization in the job description, such as employee benefits. When drafting the job ad, use a positive tone to reflect the sort of work environment that the organization provides.

Additionally, you can use PDF AI technology when screening resumes to ensure they match the job ad accurately.

Tip 3: Conduct a surprise phone/video call meeting

Our favourite part of the selection process is exactly this!

Having an on-spot interview phone call puts the candidate off-guard. This is our favourite test for a salesperson.

An impromptu phone screen can help you determine a candidate’s commitment to the role and how effectively they respond to a professional scenario without preparation.

Consider setting out time during your introductory phone conversations for the prospect to ask questions and exhibit their sales abilities.

Following the phone screen, you may hold further remote meetings to help you determine whether individuals are suitable for in-person interviews. Use video chatting software for distant meetings to assist you in observing their presentation abilities. You can also consider using free AI note takers to capture key points and decisions effortlessly.

Tip 4: Ask for and evaluate their ‘practice sales pitch’

The interview allows you to narrow down the field and locate the ideal applicant to hire. Prepare in advance the inquiries that will ensure you get the answers and information you require.

If you begin with a phone interview, look for a candidate who has a strong, commanding voice but does not come across as aggressive or like a used car salesperson. During your face-to-face meeting, pay attention to the candidate’s body language.

Are they confident?

Are they making eye contact?

Do they provide a solid handshake?

The last phase is for the candidate to develop and give a practice sales pitch to key business stakeholders. This helps you to determine how well they operate under pressure.

Salespeople must be compelling and engaging.

An impromptu presentation might help you determine whether the candidate satisfies these standards and is qualified for the post.

Bonus tip: Remember, the candidate is also interviewing you. If you want to recruit elite people, you must sell yourself as well as the company’s goal.

Tip 5: Look Beyond the Resume by uncovering the “Why” Behind the “What”

Our third tip in this list is very helpful to uncover the ‘why’ behind the candidate.

Resumes showcase experience and qualifications, but they often fall short in revealing a candidate’s intrinsic motivations. The “perfect” salesperson isn’t just someone who has checked all the boxes on paper. They possess a genuine passion for sales and a drive to succeed that traditional resumes can’t capture.

According to Simpalm, an IT staffing company in Maryland, “Resumes showcase experience and qualifications, but they often fall short in revealing a candidate’s intrinsic motivations. The ‘perfect’ salesperson isn’t just someone who has checked all the boxes on paper.

They possess a genuine passion for sales and a drive to succeed that traditional resumes can’t capture.

Here’s how to dig deeper:

Behavioral Interviewing: Focus on past actions. Ask questions like “Tell me about a time you exceeded a sales target” or “Describe a situation where you had to overcome a customer objection.” Their responses will reveal their problem-solving skills, resilience, and approach to challenges.
Motivational Fit Assessment: Go beyond skills and experience. Utilize assessments that delve into a candidate’s values, work ethic, and competitive drive. Aligning with your company culture and goals is crucial for long-term success.
Passion Project Exploration: Ask about their hobbies and interests. Do they volunteer their sales skills for a cause they care about? This can reveal not only initiative but also the ability to connect and build relationships, essential traits for a salesperson.

Tip 6: Prioritize Customer Focus Over Pure Sales Numbers

Salespeople who prioritize closing deals over building relationships might bring in short-term gains, but they rarely contribute to long-term success.

The perfect salesperson understands that genuine customer satisfaction leads to repeat business and referrals.

This is why we always ask for the intention of the salesperson. If their answer focuses on generating revenue, we’re happy.

If they focus on customer relationships, we are HAPPIER!

This is because we understand very well that customer relations are what help any company earn recurring revenue.

To check whether your salesperson is invested in the numbers rather than prioritizing customers, you can use behavioral interviewing and motivational assessments to find a candidate with a genuine passion for sales and values that align with your company culture.

Explore their hobbies and interests – someone who volunteers their sales skills might indicate strong relationship-building abilities.

By implementing these unique tips, you’ll move beyond simply evaluating resumes and qualifications. These elements will lead you closer to identifying the perfect salesperson who will consistently generate revenue and build lasting customer relationships for your business.

Tip 7: Check some references

Whenever we hire, we first ask around in our network before publishing a job listing. In the last decade of running our software business, we’ve found much better results from employees who have been referred, compared to selecting one out of the hundreds of candidates we meet online.

A potential recruit would never offer you a terrible reference, would they?

If they do, you probably won’t want them.

So, are references useful for locating the proper salespeople? The answer is yes.

You should always call references, but you should also ask them for another reference and plan what questions you want to ask them ahead of time. The more prepared you are and the better questions you ask, the more valuable the results will be.

Another reason you should contact references is because the candidate will almost always know whether or not you contacted them. You want the prospect to know you’re serious about the process and will go to great lengths to locate the best.

Or else, they might go somewhere else.

Tip 8: Be extremely rigorous in explaining what you need

Let your prospect know exactly what to expect from this position. You want them to realize what they’re getting into, for their own sake as much as yours. If you hire someone who doesn’t fully understand what they’re getting into, they may only stay for a few months.

Tell them what the job requires.

Tell them what could be difficult about it.

Tell them about some potential problems and assess their response.

You do not have to be gloomy or imposing; simply be honest.

Unless you’re hiring for a contract role, you want a salesman who is committed to the long term. Which is why your salesperson needs to know exactly what they’re getting into beforehand.

Tip 9: A Detailed Onboarding Process Is A Must

We have now made a rule as an accounting software company: only hire salespeople who already have an accountancy background or something related. This simply eases your onboarding process.

As previously stated, a considerable understanding of the product or service being sold is critical to a salesperson’s success.

A well-structured Sales Onboarding & Training program ensures new hires gain this expertise quickly, helping them ramp up faster and contribute to sales performance sooner.

Before their first client engagement, new personnel should receive thorough product training, like AI sales training, and an adequate chance to utilize it directly.

A complete onboarding experience will provide them with the knowledge they need to answer questions, overcome objections, and demonstrate value to close more business.

Tip 10: Follow up with the good salespeople immediately

If we find a good salesperson in any interview, we follow up and keep them in the loop within 24 hours.

If a salesperson nailed an interview, notify them immediately.

Reach out to keep them engaged and interested in your organization and the position. Inform them that they impressed you and provide some information on the following stages.

A strong sales prospect may be a valuable commodity. If a prospect you’re interested in is interviewing for many opportunities at different firms, you’ll want to stay in their thoughts as much as possible. Getting in contact and planning the next steps is an excellent approach to do so.

Conclusion

If an applicant has at least eight to ten of these criteria, you are on the right track to employing them. If you’re a salesman looking for work, you might want to employ these interview strategies to land the position.

Finding and recruiting the ideal salesman is a delicate art with no clear pattern. Still, with these guidelines in mind, you’ll be able to bring in quality prospects and choose which one is ideal for your company.

We follow all these tips, especially the detailed onboarding part. We want our salespeople to know our product in and out. And trust us when we say this: Salespeople with less product knowledge will lose revenue rather than generate it!

As we mentioned earlier, sales success isn’t solely dependent on a salesperson. Just as important is feature-packed accounting software like ProfitBooks. Managing the incoming revenue by hiring your sales team requires software for any serious business.