So you already have the perfect sales acceleration process, but do you have the right people in your sales team? If the answer is no, then you need to learn amazing tips on how to find the right people for your growing company.
Be Very Specific
The first step before starting your hiring process is to determine the profile of the person that will meet the requirements of the job. Most of the time when people talk of identifying a person’s profile, they talk in terms of industry experience, the number of years of experience, domain experience, behavioral skills, organizations they have worked for, etc. Although these factors are essential, they are not enough if you want to get your hiring right.
You need to probe more. If you’re looking for specific sales experience, do not simply ask if the applicants have it. If you require people who have critical selling
skills and you ask candidates if they have this background, they might answer, “YES.” Most people think it’s about selling “benefits and advantages” but it’s more than that. You need to ask them which formal sales methods or certifications they’re familiar with and identify how much it influences their selling technique. Find out the kinds of deals they were working with (e.g., types of buying personas, sales cycles, deal volumes, quota sizes, etc.,). Furthermore, ask them to break down a common sales situation at your organization and explain how they would handle them.
The Right EVP
Competent sales professionals are always in demand and you have to give them a very good reason to join you. This compelling reason is called the employee value proposition or EVP. A strong EVP should have the following elements:
Your company vision -- What is the story of your company? What are you trying to achieve in this industry? What are the things you want to excel in?
Your organization’s position -- What is your idea of product quality or service in the market? What is your company’s position in the market? What kind of business growth you’re looking at? What are your achievements to date?
Your company culture -- What is your organization’s culture? What’s the reputation of the employees in your company? The camaraderie among your employees? Do you practice work-life balance?
Financial rewards -- How good is your incentive plan? What kind of financial rewards can your sales agents expect? Do you offer stock options?
Opportunity for Growth -- What kind of professional/ personal growth opportunities are you offering your employees? What new learnings can the sales agent look forward to? Who will they work with? How will joining the company enrich the individual’s experience?
EVP is a factor that most businesses, especially new ones, overlook. And if they do execute it, they usually don’t document or articulate it when they hire.
The Right Chemistry
Finding the candidate who has the experience you are looking for is not enough. You also need to have the right chemistry with that person. A candidate might have the relevant sales experience, yet if you’re not excited to hire this person, then you probably need to keep looking. It’s vital that you not only hire a person with the right skill set but someone who can also make people excited.
Sales recruiting is important in achieving sales acceleration. Having the right team can contribute to your company’s revenue growth. However, if you hire the wrong people it can result in slower sales growth and a waste of management bandwidth. It takes considerable effort to get it right, but if done properly, it can deliver outstanding results for your company.
