By Michelle Richardson, Vice President of Sales Performance Research — The Brooks Group
Hiring sales professionals can feel like a hassle, but it’s one of the most important business decisions you can make. Be sure your time and effort don’t go to waste. Avoid these five common sales hiring mistakes we’ve seen organizations make time and time again.
Sales Hiring Mistake #1: You don’t define exactly what the position needs.
Too often, sales professionals are hired based on likeability. Just because a sales candidate charms you in an interview doesn’t mean they’ll be able to perform at high levels once they’re in the role.
How to avoid it: Work with internal stakeholders to identify the skills, behavior style, and innate motivators a person will need to succeed in your open sales position. Once you know what an ideal sales candidate looks like, you can objectively evaluate applicants against that benchmark to find the best fit.
Sales Hiring Mistake #2: You hire an A-player from your competitor.
So many of our clients have told us stories about hiring their competitor’s top producer, only to have them bomb out within their first few months on the job.
Prior industry experience can actually be a detriment when it comes to:
- Understanding a competitive line
- Learning about new applications
- Giving up old loyalties
- Having the energy to start something all over again
- Unlearning bad sales habits
How to avoid it: Make sure your candidate has the behavior and communication style that will mesh well with your culture and selling environment.