Hiring winning sales staff

The following guide highlights qualities to look for when recruiting sales staff…

What do you look for when hiring new sales staff?

Typically employers look at factors such as age, gender, and experience. But these do not always help you assess the potential success or failure as a salesperson.

Even looking at previous performance may not help if the candidate is going to be working in a different sales environment.

One approach that employers are finding increasingly helpful is to look at the personality of the candidate to see if he or she has what it takes to be a winning salesperson.

Use the checklist below to see which of the six essential traits of a sales champion your candidates possess:

	Yes	No
Self–starter – sets his/her own goals and motivates him/herself to reach them
Identifies with success – closing a sale reinforces his/her self–esteem
Resilient – is never discouraged but reacts to failure with increased determination to succeed next time
Sensitive – tries to understand and address the potential buyer's point of view – talks with them not at them
Perceptive – identifies hidden agendas, unspoken objections, etc and helps the potential buyer past them
Committed to service – understands the importance of being of service and feels personally rewarded by the buyer's satisfaction

Scorecard

How many "Yes" boxes did you tick?

5 – 6: Hire them!

3 – 4: You may give this person the benefit of the doubt, but think carefully before employing them.

0 – 2: Don't call us!

If you are looking for support and advice from a team of professional accountants and business advisers, contact Attwoods.

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