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How to Hire a Sales Team

Whether you have a startup or an established company that’s expanding into a new line of business, hiring sales people with the right knowledge, skills and experience is crucial. After all, your sales team is responsible for driving profits. Becoming familiar with best practices for hiring a sales team can improve your recruitment and retention efforts, putting your company on the path to success.

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Exploring the different roles in sales

Often, people think of all sales professionals as working in the same role. However, there are a number of positions that fall under the category of sales. Understanding the differences between job titles is an important first step when hiring sales people. The following are some of the sales jobs you may wish to have on your team.

Inside Sales Representative

An Inside Sales Representative is a sales professional who sells to customers remotely. They may do so via telephone, video call, chat or email. In some cases, Inside Sales Representatives seize opportunities through incoming communications with customers who are looking to buy. Other times, representatives may be soliciting new business by cold calling or emailing consumers or businesses.

Outside Sales Representative

An Outside Sales Representative is a sales professional who sells to customers face-to-face. Typically, these jobs involve local, regional, national or worldwide travel. Outside sales representatives meet with prospective customers to explain the benefits of a company’s products and services. They also conduct follow-up visits with existing customers to uncover opportunities for repeat sales.

Retail Sales Associate

A Retail Sales Associate works in a retail store selling merchandise to customers. They’re often responsible for operating a point-of-sale (POS) system to complete customer transactions. In addition, many Retail Sales Associates have additional duties such as stocking and organizing the store.

Sales Consultant

A Sales Consultant is a salesperson who takes a more educational approach to sales. Often, consultants take over after an initial sale, staying in regular contact with customers. They have conversations about the customer’s needs and challenges and then advise them about other products and services that may benefit them.

Sales Coordinator

A Sales Coordinator helps salespeople succeed in their roles. They motivate sales people to strive for their goals and track progress toward fulfilling quotas. They also provide tips and advice on how to improve sales performance and customer service.

Account Executive

An Account Executive manages client relationships, identifies new business opportunities, and drives sales goals. They present and sell products or services to potential clients while maintaining existing client satisfaction, often serving as the key point of contact.

Sales Manager

A Sales Manager serves as the direct supervisor for a team of sales representatives. They evaluate performance, handle discipline issues and provide coaching and training for their direct reports. Often, they assist with the hiring of new members of the sales team, reviewing applications and résumés and conducting interviews.

Director of Sales

A Director of Sales is a member of the leadership team responsible for overseeing the sales activities of a company. Often, one or more sales managers report to the director. The main goal of a Director of Sales is to ensure the company achieves sales targets for the month, quarter and year, and they develop and implement strategies to help sales teams succeed.

Deciding what your needs are when hiring a sales team

As you can see, your sales team may consist of a variety of positions. The first step in hiring a sales team is to determine which positions to create. To evaluate your needs, consider the following.

What you’re selling

Your sales team will partially determine what types of sales professionals you need. If you’re hiring staff for brick-and-mortar stores, Retail Sales Associates will likely form the bulk of your team. In other sectors, Inside and Outside Sales Representatives may be a better fit. For highly technical products and professional services, Sales Consultants may be needed to educate customers.

Who your customers are

Consider who your ideal customer is when creating your sales team. Will they be actively looking for your product or services? If so, Inside Sales Representatives can handle their calls and emails. For products and services or innovations that require some education, Sales Consultants and Outside Sales Representatives may be a better choice.

How your competitors sell

Conduct research to figure out how your competitors sell their products or services. Do they conduct on-site sales visits or sell via phone or online chat? Do they make regular sales visits to existing customers? Once you know how your competitors sell, think about what you need to do to gain an advantage. For example, if you find that your competitor doesn’t get much repeat business, you may want to hire Inside Sales Representatives or Sales Consultants to perform follow-ups.

The size and scope of your company

The size and scope of your company should influence the size of your sales team. A small business that only sells locally will likely need fewer sales people than a large corporation focused on selling globally.

Your budget

How much money you have for recruiting efforts, salaries, benefits and bonuses should factor into your decision-making when hiring sales people. You may find that you need to limit your team to a handful of employees until your revenue increases.

Related: How to Determine and Manage Your Recruiting Budget

Tips for finding sales people

Once you know what sales positions you’re hiring for, you’re ready to begin finding sales people to fill your open positions. Here are some things you can do to find potential candidates:

  • Attend industry networking events: Attend networking events organized by professional organizations related to your industry. You may meet passive candidates who would be willing to move to a new position with a company like yours.
  • Participate in job fairs: General job fairs and college hiring fairs draw people looking for work in a variety of industries. Come prepared to conduct initial interviews and accept applications.
  • Post on social media: Let your followers on social media know that you’re hiring a sales team. You may receive referrals or reach sales professionals who are looking for a change.
  • List your positions on Indeed: Posting your jobs on Indeed can help you connect with candidates who are a good fit for your open positions. Through tools such as screener questions, you can automatically screen candidates and reject those who don’t meet your requirements, saving you time when you’re hiring sales people for the first time.

Learn more: How to Post a Job on Indeed

How to attract candidates when hiring sales people

As you try different methods of finding sales people, your goal is to encourage them to apply for your open positions. Follow these tips to attract candidates:

  • Write detailed job descriptions: Clearly describe the duties and responsibilities, as well as qualifications and skills, so job seekers have a full understanding of your needs. Outline the benefits of working for you in bullet points at the top of the job description, and expand on the headlines later in the posting.
  • Create a competitive bonus or commission program: In most industries, sales people receive commissions on every sale or bonuses when they meet or exceed targets. Research what your competitors offer and use data to guide you as you develop your own system for rewarding employees.
  • Go beyond pay: A comprehensive compensation package includes more than salary, commissions and bonuses. Benefits and perks such as health insurance, 401(k) matching contributions, tuition reimbursement programs and paid time off can set your company apart from competitors.
  • Lead with work-life balance: Sales positions can be stressful, and increasingly, jobseekers are prioritizing their mental health when looking for jobs. Create employee wellness and mental health programs to help employees manage stress, and explore opportunities for giving sales people more flexibility through initiatives such as hybrid and remote work and flex time scheduling.

How to screen and interview for sales positions

When screening and interviewing for sales positions, keep the duties of the job in mind. Start by eliminating candidates who don’t meet basic requirements. Then, choose the highest quality candidates to interview. During your virtual or face-to-face interview,ask sales questions that explore candidates’ sales skills. For jobs that involve in-person sales, consider nonverbal communication skills in addition to how candidates answer.

How to retain your sales team

Once you’ve succeeded at hiring sales people, you’ll want to keep them on your team for as long as possible. Developing a robust employee recognition program can show that you value your sales people, as can investing in their development and growth through education and training programs. Managers and supervisors should also become familiar with the personal goals of their direct reports and provide coaching to help them to get to the next level.

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