Why is it so hard to hire your first SUCCESSFUL salesperson?

Friday Funnel Focus Blog by EPOCH Sales Management Solutions

Why is it so hard to hire your first SUCCESSFUL salesperson?

Last week, we discussed Tad McIntosh’s comment:

“The most difficult hire for a small business owner is their FIRST SUCCESSFUL SALESPERSON.”

Why is it so hard?

First, let’s look at a typical small business application. The business owner starts a business  based on a specific skill or expertise.  Based on that skill or expertise, their passion and desire to pay their bills, they find a way to win new business. Not only do they know their product or service cold, but more importantly they know what they can deliver.  Small business owners that believe in their product or service typically make sales and those that don’t will probably struggle.

For the business owner who does not believe in their product or service and struggles making sales may never find a SUCCESSFUL salesperson and will most likely never have a business. 

 Let’s focus on those of you who believe in your product or service, okay?

Let’s look at the SUCCESSFUL selling business owner that wants to add SUCCESSFUL salespeople, but seems to be struggling at doing this.  What might be getting in their way?

1. Many small business owners don’t need a written strategy or process to make sales.  Their confidence along with their knowledge of the product or service and key markets may allow them to wing it and still make sales.
• However, how does the new salesperson succeed without the right strategy to point them in the right direction and a proven process that will work for that small business?
2. Many small business owners are willing to pay high commissions to attract the best salespeople. This is great once sales start.  
• However, how does the salesperson and/or business owner address the time it takes to get ramped up as well as the length of the sales cycle for prospects to decide to buy? This gap can limit a small business owner’s ability to compete with larger companies for A players.
3. Many small business owners don’t take the proper time to determine what sales role they need at that time or what characteristics that specific role needs.  
• How does the small business owner recruit, interview, evaluate and hire the right salesperson when they don’t really know what they are looking for? Or how to evaluate such a candidate?
• Does the business owner have sales or sales management experience prior to forming their business?
4. Many small business owners hire outgoing candidates with successful track records from large firms that interview well. Why do so many of them fail?
• Did you know that statistics show that introverts sell as well as extroverts? Ambiverts outsell both of them.
• Did you know that most sales candidates from large firms fail initially without the brand and support of their large firm?
• Did you know that interviews are only accurate predictors of future performance 14% of the time according to a Michigan State Study?

What is the answer?

1. Make your  business … sales team ready
• Define and Align Sales Strategy to Focus Salespeople on the right priorities
• Define a repeatable process to Build a Healthy Sales Pipeline
• Define a repeatable process to Win More Deals
• Define a process to successfully implement Sales CRM and other Sales technologies to support the processes and strategy
2. Put the Right Salesperson on Your Team in the Right Sale Role
• Determine the role and characteristics
• Always be recruiting. Aim for the B Candidate that can be an A player
• Focus on person traits first. Product and Market Information can be taught.
• Use Multiple Interviews and multiple interviewers.
• Conduct assessments.
3. Lead, Coach and Develop Sales Champions
• It is an ongoing process.

We encourage you to subscribe here to this Monday Morning Blog  “Right Seat on the Bus” as we discuss the challenges of hiring that FIRST SUCCESSFUL Salesperson over the next few weeks and then continue with discussion on Putting the Right Salesperson on Your Team in the Right Sales Role and Leading, Coaching and Developing them as Sales Champions.

For ongoing discussion on how to Make Your Business … Sales Team Ready, check out our Friday Funnel Focus blog here.

You can subscribe to the Friday Funnel Focus Blog here.

Download our guide to help you Put the Right Salesperson on Your Team in the Right Sales Role

Would you like someone to guide you in this process to get ready to hire? 

Schedule a 30-minute conversation here.