Whether you’re a new business ready to bring your product to the market or a mature business expanding your client base, hiring salespeople is an exciting time as a business leader. You can feel the growth that lies ahead and are ready to hire a salesperson to help you achieve your go-to-market strategy.
But, before you get seduced by a salesperson who is stronger on paper than they are on payroll, it’s important to ensure you and your organization are ready to hire a new sales team member—and a star at that.
To help ensure a successful recruiting phase, here are five questions to ask yourself before you post the job.
1. What is my sales mission?
Move beyond what you sell and how much you sell it for. You need to ask yourself why you’re selling that product and how it will change the prospect’s outcomes.
Take Gavin, for example. Gavin sells an intricate software integration that helps clients gain account clarity within their CRM. Gavin can tell you how much the product is worth and how much time it will save them with a smile on his face. But that’s not why clients buy from Gavin. They buy from him because he talks passionately about the benefits of the software. After all, he truly believes in what he sells. He provides great outcomes.
When you’re ready to hire a salesperson, you need a Gavin.
2. Do I know my target market?
Whether you’re selling business-to-consumer, business-to-business or selling to enterprise accounts, you need to know your target market to find the right kind of salesperson for the job.
If you’re replacing a past employee, how did they react to the role? Were they in over their head or were they bored? A door-to-door vacuum salesperson requires a very different set of skills than a suit-and-tie salesperson pitching $2 million widgets in a board room.
Understand your audience so you don’t get seduced by resumes and salespeople that don’t fit the mission and market.
3. What’s my deal size?
Sales isn’t just sales. Before you hire a salesperson, you need to clearly define how many steps and gates they need to pass to close a deal and the average size of that deal. Is that already mapped out and clearly defined?
If you pluck the top materials salesperson from a construction supplies shop, you know they can sell. But, if you’re selling in boardrooms and have a two-year sales cycle, chances are they’re not the right salesperson for the job.
Conversely, someone who’s used to a long sales cycle might struggle to succeed in a fast-paced business-to-consumer environment.
4. What specific tasks indicate a future sale?
Once you know the deal size, break the path to sales success down into individual tasks. Does your salesperson need to know how to use the CRM effectively to indicate their sales progress? Do they need the skills to get past gatekeepers to book an appointment?
Think of it as a marathon. If you don’t know your pace at 2k, 5k and 10k, you can’t effectively gauge when you’ll cross the finish line at 42k. Define your tasks and their respective timelines to illuminate the road to a successful sale. What are the leading indicators to sales success?
5. What support system is in place for my new salesperson?
As the sales leader, it’s your responsibility to understand who on the team has the time, energy and resources to effectively onboard, train and coach your new sales hire. If you intend to lead your new sales hire, do you have the time required to take yourself off the grid and devote time to nurturing your new sales star?
You’ve asked yourself these five questions, found a potential candidate and are ready to hire a salesperson. But, before you do, it’s critical to the success of your future sales hire and your company that you map their first 90 days with an effective onboarding program.
Are you ready to grow your team? At HireMeASalesperson, our active sales recruiters help you find your next great sales hire. Contact us today to learn more and unlock our sales onboarding whitepaper.