What Seasoned Experts Look For When Hiring Accomplished Salespeople
Hiring salespeople for your organization is essential. If you want to sell products and services to clients, you need them. There are no substitutes. But finding good salespeople is challenging. Just because their CV says they have years of experience, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have the skills you need in the real world.
Great salespeople aren’t actually pushy. They don’t need to be. Instead, they allow the product to sell itself. They’re just a facilitator. But how do you spot these talented individuals? Let’s take a look.
They Genuinely Care About What The Customer Wants
We all know what it’s like to interact with a salesperson who only cares about the commission. They’ll say and do anything, just to make the sale.
The problem with this approach is that it’s not sustainable. While it can work in some instances, in the long term, it often backfires. Customers return goods they don’t need or stop paying for services when they see they don’t add value.
Therefore, always look for salespeople who seem genuinely concerned about the needs of customers. These are the individuals in your organization who are most likely to acquire loyal customers.
They’re Subtle
Salespeople are masters in the art of reading other people. They can usually smell a sale from a mile off. However, they are also subtle. They don’t storm in and try to make the customer’s decision for them. Instead, they gently coax their thinking patterns in a favorable direction.
They Are Resilient
Getting knocked back as a salesperson is all part of the job. There will be times when customers are genuinely unhappy with the goods or services that your company sells. The art of being a great salesperson is to overcome these obstacles and deal with adversity. Even if one customer is challenging, the next is always an opportunity.
They Are Extraverted
If you have a sales team hiring assessment, you should always look for extraversion. People who are extraverted feel energized by being around other people. They actually want to walk up to customers and engage them. For them, it’s all part of the enjoyment of the job. If you hire introverts, they will be unhappy in their roles and customers will notice, too.
They Listen To, And Remember, What You Say
Great salespeople always listen to other people. The reason for this is simple: they want to find out as much as possible about them so that they can use that to overcome obstacles and pain points. If a salesperson doesn’t listen, they are unlikely to sell well. If they can’t hear what the customer is telling them, then they won’t meet their needs.
They Are Persistent
Lastly, salespeople are persistent. If they know that a customer can genuinely benefit from a product or service, they will continue to make the case.
However, they will do it in a respectful and gentle manner. They will remind the customer about the benefits they will experience, slowly overcoming their resistance to buying the product.
