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The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted the sales industry. The implementation of physical distancing measures had significantly impacted many businesses, especially those that relied heavily on in-person sales.
These challenges have pushed companies to employ a remote or hybrid approach to sales, especially as 40 percent of surveyed businesses underperformed in 2020.
Building a better sales team is one of the main initiatives that could help companies perform better in the following years.
If you’re planning to launch a hiring process soon, here are five tips to help you select the best sales representatives for your company.
1. Have a Well-Crafted Job Description
To attract high-quality candidates, your hiring team must start with a well-executed job posting. This is where the hiring process begins and will profoundly affect the types of candidates applying.
It’s crucial to hit specific keywords in your job description, such as “B2B,” “entry level,” or “customer service.” Try to put in words that you know your target hires will look for on job boards.
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Aside from keywords, include an engaging description of the company, the company culture, and the management’s expectations of the role. Your job description allows you to comprehensively describe what it would be like to work at your company.
If you’re understaffed, it’s a good idea to work with a sales recruiter to help you with hiring your new employees.
2. Screen Candidates Before the Interviews
A well-crafted job description accompanied by attractive rates would likely bring in a lot of applications.
This is a good sign, as your hiring team will have more options. However, interviewing thirty people to fill one position might be too much.
Before moving on to your interviews, make sure to screen your applicants. Compare their applications and experience to the job description and create a shortlist of the top sales candidates you will interview.
3. Ask Thoughtful Questions
The final interview is one of the most critical parts of the hiring process. It is where you will learn more about your shortlisted candidates and assess their capability to perform well at your company.
A good and effective interview requires careful questioning. Aside from discussing their technical skills or experiences in previous jobs, use this time to assess their personality and work ethic. Would they fit in with the rest of the company?
4. Test the Candidates
A sales representative is usually the first individual to face customers in your daily operations. The hiring process should help you ensure that the people you hire will be perfectly capable of performing this vital role.
Aside from the formal question and answer interview, you could also test your candidates by simulating certain real-life situations.
The most classic example is the “Sell me this pen” test, which simulates a sales pitch. You could always tweak it or create a custom test to suit your company’s needs.
5. Do Not Decide Alone
The company must make a collective decision to ensure that you are selecting the right people, . From the screening process to the interviews and final assessments, ensure that multiple people are involved.
Different perspectives will allow the team to consider multiple factors and arrive at a more objective decision that is better for the company.
Bringing new people into your company is always a significant undertaking. After all, the quality of each employee will likely determine the quality of work that you can produce in the future.
Make sure to consider all relevant factors when deciding, and do not be afraid to ask for assistance when you need it.
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