SEPTEMBER 2007: AROUND THE STATE, HELP DESK
Finding and hiring just the right salesperson
A great salesperson will expand your business and help you
thrive; a bad one will cost you both salary and lost
opportunities. Dorane Wintermeyer, sales vice president at
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, urges companies
“to wait for the right person.” When you are ready
to expand your team, devote time and resources to the process.
The long-term investment is worth it.
Great recruiting leads to great hires. Here are a few tips on
how to find the best:
CREATE A CLEAR
JOB DESCRIPTION. Decide what kind of salesperson you
need and what they will do. Determine the skills the job
requires and the personality or work style you need. Do you
want an independent and aggressive rep to expand sales? Or do
you need someone more collaborative to support existing
clients?
WRITE A
BROAD ADVERTISEMENT. Don’t limit your potential
pool with a requirement for, “chemical sales
experience.” Bill Raymond, of Sales & Marketing
Leadership Group, a sales training and consulting company in
Beaverton, suggests trying “industrial sales
experience.” It is more important to find someone with an
inherent ability to sell than someone with specific knowledge
of your industry.
NETWORK WITH
INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS. Let trade organizations relevant
to your business know you are hiring. Beth Wickham, director of
Bend’s Small Business Development Center, points out they
may also provide you access to a bank of resumes and sample job
descriptions.
RECRUIT 365 DAYS
A YEAR. Even if you aren’t hiring today, pay
attention to other companies selling to your clients. Find out
who your clients like and who are the best salespeople in your
industry and region.
FOCUS ON
ATTITUDE AND BASIC STRENGTHS. Someone with the drive to
succeed and a positive outlook will work to make the sale no
matter what. It is much easier to teach skills than to instill
desire and commitment.
CREATE A FORMAL
HIRING PROCESS. Informal interviews easily lead to
hit-or-miss hiring based more on liking a person than on their
qualifications. Structured interviews also ensure more of your
time is spent with qualified people.
PREPARE
QUESTIONS AND LEAVE TIME FOR ANSWERS. Questions should
get at a candidate’s competency, “When have you
lost a sale and why?” as well as attitude, “How did
you feel, and what did you do about it?”
GIVE
ASSIGNMENTS. Ask applicants to research common
objections to your products and how they will address those
challenges. This will show their commitment and how well they
understand your company and client needs. Answers will also
give you insight to their work style and level of
creativity.
CREATE REAL WORK
SITUATIONS. Use role-playing to see how applicants make
a pitch, handle a dissatisfied client or introduce themselves
to potential clients. Pay close attention to body language as
well as verbal answers.
Whether your company is large or small, the quality of the
salesperson you hire will determine your company’s
success. Don’t skimp on the upfront
work.
BROOKE MATSCHEK
Have an opinion?
E-mail feedback@oregonbusiness.com
