subject: How To Hire Better Sales Reps [print this page] Good sales representatives can expand your market, increase your profits and strengthen your brand; however companies often struggle to find them. Whilst sales representatives come with the low-risk advantage of commission based pay, hiring and training can cost you a lot of time and money. Spending time on your hiring process can mean you recruit the best sales reps for your company and continue to grow as a business. The below stages of recruitment are important in optimising your hiring process.
Define The Position
Make sure you know exactly what jobs will be delegated to your new employee, and their level of priority. Having a clearly defined position is attractive to potential staff, and ensures you can hire on the basis of what your company needs. Consider the various skills and levels of experience you would like in your sales rep. Determining whether product experience is more important to you than time management and prospecting skills means you know what criteria to rank your potential reps on.
Imbue your position description with features and characteristics of your brand - so that your sales rep will be reflective of the type of company you wish to promote.
Advertise And Recruit From A Variety Of Places
To have the best chance of hiring a great sales rep, make sure you are searching a variety of places. Inform staff and colleagues of open positions, as referrals can be a great source of recruitment. However, do not rely only upon existing connections. Attending trade shows can be a great way to meet ambitious and likeminded people who could make great staff! Advertising can be costly, but selecting a few appropriate publications and websites can increase your likelihood of finding the right new staff member.
Evaluate
Evaluate your candidate through an interview and trial process. Whilst some candidates may shine in an interview, it is important to check their previous successes, and their potential to succeed in your business. Simulating various aspects of the job, as well as inquiring about the past, can help you find an applicant who suits your company. This is where your well defined job position comes into play, remember it, and evaluate accordingly.
Find Ambition
Ambitious sales reps will want to succeed, and help your business to succeed too. Look for a desire to improve and expand within your reps, as well as proven success in the past. If you do not have the budget to be hiring high experience reps, look for ambition to succeed, or even look to incentives to try and push and fuel their ambition.
