A business’s success and growth only occur when a team of highly motivated sales people exists. That makes sense when they are the ones to discover leads, engage with prospects, and secure sales deals.
Due to this, successful businesses must focus on building a highly effective sales team. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Sometimes, finding multiple experienced, passionate, and confident salespeople can feel next to impossible.
That doesn’t mean it isn’t doable, though. By following these dos and don’ts, you can build a successful sales team that secures more deals than ever.
The Dos
1: Be Specific with Requirements
Every sales department is different. Many require skills specific to the company and its techniques. Even highly experienced salespeople might not fit the bill.
Due to this, be as specific with requirements in job openings as possible, as it will help weed out the people that don’t have the necessary skills.
2: Spend Time on Coaching
Onboarding new sales hires is one of the most challenging parts of sales recruitment. To make it smoother, spend more time on coaching, allowing the new sales team to get comfortable and understand the ins and outs of the sales department. A sales enablement platform can help with this – follow www.allego.com/learning/sales-onboarding/ to learn more.
3: Source Salespeople from the Right Channels
Where do you find salespeople? Knowing the best channels to source from allows you to hire and onboard a new sales team with much more ease. To do this, look at previous hires and see where the best salespeople came from. That might be referrals, job boards, or a particular career agency.
4: Ask for Specific Experiences
Knowing that a candidate has two years of sales experience isn’t enough. You must know exactly what that experience entailed and whether it is relevant for the company. That way, they are more likely to fit in quickly and drive sales.
So, to find the right people, ask for experience specifics. For example, you could ask them to recall their most lucrative deal or when they convinced an otherwise unsure prospect.
5: Ask for a Sales Pitch Demo
Looking at a resume and asking questions won’t always tell you who is the best person for the sales job. To know for sure, you need to see how they work, so ask for a sales pitch during the interviewing stage. This demo will tell you whether they will fit well in the sales department.
The Don’ts
1: Only Consider Track Record
A track record counts somewhat, but it isn’t everything. Look at candidates’ previous experience – but ask more specifically about it during interviews. Even if they made tons of sales at their last job, that wouldn’t always equate to increased secured deals at your company.
2: Forget to Tell Your Team About New Hires
One crucial ingredient of a good sales team is camaraderie, which means the integration of a new salesperson is vital. To avoid starting a new salesperson on a sour note, always tell the sales department when they can expect a new hire.
3: Offer Poor Compensation
The best salespeople look for the best job openings. Inexperienced and unmotivated candidates will often take what they can get.
If you want to build a team of experienced and highly driven salespeople, don’t make an unpromising pay offer. Instead, offer excellent incentives and enticing compensation. It may cost more initially, but it will lead to more secured deals.
4: Finish Coaching Too Quickly
Many sales departments have a specific training period that ends after a fixed time. While training can end after this period, that doesn’t mean coaching should. After all, salespeople have much to learn – far more than can be taught in six weeks.
5: Ignore Internal Development
A dead-end sales job won’t keep people around. Offer excellent internal development opportunities to ensure your recruitment process doesn’t end up with the best leaving. Don’t forget to promote your most successful, dedicated workers when necessary.
Building an outstanding sales team – especially from scratch – is challenging for any company. However, following these dos and don’ts simplifies the process and creates far better results.
