Hiring sales professionals can feel like a hassle, but it’s one of the most important business decisions you can make.
Be sure your time and effort don’t go to waste. Avoid these five common sales hiring mistakes we’ve seen organizations make time and time again.
Sales Hiring Mistake #1: You don’t define exactly what the position needs.
Too often, sales professionals are hired based on likeability. Just because a sales candidate charms you in an interview doesn’t mean they’ll be able to perform at high levels once they’re in the role.
How to avoid it: Work with internal stakeholders to identify the skills, behavior style, and innate motivators a person will need to succeed in your open sales position.
Once you know what an ideal sales candidate looks like, you can objectively evaluate applicants against that benchmark to find the best fit.
Sales Hiring Mistake #2: You hire an A-player from your competitor.
So many of our clients have told us stories about hiring their competitor’s top producer, only to have them bomb out within their first few months on the job.
Prior industry experience can actually be a detriment when it comes to:
- Understanding a competitive line
- Learning about new applications
- Giving up old loyalties
- Having the energy to start something all over again
- Unlearning bad sales habits
How to avoid it: Make sure your candidate has the behavior and communication style that will mesh well with your culture and selling environment.
Use a comprehensive sales assessment to see if the person as a whole is a good fit for your company, not for your competitor.
Sales Hiring Mistake #3: You drop the ball on the onboarding process.
You’ve sifted through resumes, held rounds of interviews, and assessed your top candidates. Don’t let all that time and effort go to waste by neglecting to onboard your new sales hire properly. New sales professionals need to understand your organization’s values and expectations.
The first few months of a new sales professional’s tenure at your company are the most critical. A good onboarding experience impacts retention, performance, and long-term success. It’s important to get your sales onboarding process right.
How to avoid it: Implement a structured, in-depth onboarding program for new sales professionals. Send them an agenda before their start date so they know what to expect on the first couple of days.
Sales Hiring Mistake #4: You hire out of desperation.
We’ve all been there: One of your top producers suddenly leaves and you’re left scrambling to replace them. But when you try to hire on the fly, it’s easy to become blinded by your need to fill the role. You may overlook or ignore red flags and end up hiring the wrong person.
How to avoid it: In the same way you coach your sales professionals to fill their pipeline with quality prospects, you should have a few candidates lined up for when you need to hire quickly.
Network with sales professionals who could potentially be a good fit for your team, and ask your team to do the same.
Sales Hiring Mistake #5: You focus on experience and ignore potential.
Previous experience can be an indicator of how well a sales candidate will perform, but it’s not the most important factor to look for. If you focus too heavily on experience level, you’re likely to pass over motivated, high-potential candidates with the right kind of “raw talent.”
How to avoid it: Hire for attitude and train for job skills. Use the interview process to try to uncover the personal skills required to do the job well (resiliency and accountability, for example).
You can reveal a candidate’s true colors with a comprehensive assessment such as the Brooks Talent Index™ sales assessment tool. Then, bring your new hire up to their full potential with thorough onboarding, training, and sales coaching programs.
How to Avoid Sales Hiring Mistakes
Hiring mistakes can cost you an enormous amount of time and effort. They also affect team morale and slow down your momentum. Assessing a candidate’s skills and personality before hiring can help you decide whether they’re a good fit for your corporate culture.
Avoid these common sales hiring mistakes and start hiring smarter by using The Brooks Group sales selection assessments.
