• How-to

Hungry to sell
The sales personnel you hire should be hungry to sell, believe in your product/service and be as eager as you to sell it. Therefore, when hiring such personnel, it’s important to ask yourself two basic questions: ‘Do these candidates share my excitement?’ and ‘Do they believe in my business or are they here because they need a job?’

Where to hire?
There are multiple options based on who you are looking for, each with a set of pros and cons:
Small/mid-sized companies: It’s easier to sell for brands, selling for a new startup is difficult, hiring sales personnel even tougher. So for startups it’s advisable to hire sales people from small or mid-sized companies that are not brands.
Campuses: Engineering colleges can get you an interesting handful of candidates, say many entrepreneurs. There are always some students who are ready to experiment. Tap into their entrepreneurial cells as a starting point. Networking with your alumni is a good option; your juniors/batchmates will be ready to work for a known person. Top B-schools, though an option, will get you the second rung of students. Given a choice, most students prefer joining an established brand. Those who don’t get picked up by MNCs are second best and therefore may or may not be the best bet for your firm.
References: Avoid relatives, but references that come through colleagues of friends and friends of friends, are ideal and trustworthy.
Competitors: This is poaching, the good old way. Coaching time is less; risk-taking high.

The interview
A few markers for the right candidate:
Confidence: The ease with which your questions are answered will tell you a lot about a prospective candidate’s confidence.
Research: One of the early questions should be about your company. How much research has he/she done on your business before attending the interview? A sales job requires a lot of knowledge on product/service being sold. Your candidate shouldn’t flounder at this stage.
Commitment: You need a person committed to your firm for a couple of years at least. Why does your startup interest the candidate? The questions a candidate asks you would reflect this.
Background: A school/college topper may not be the best marker; usually average rankers who indulge in extracurricular activities are extroverts and ready to take initiatives which are good traits for sales staff.

Past work experience
Every candidate will brag about meeting targets at the previous workplace, but take the figures and achievements they mention at face-value, literally! Dig deep with questions, and you should be able to judge the truth behind the facts and figures he/she quotes. A person can lie, but the numbers usually don’t!

Top traits of a good salesperson
* Good communication skills
* Ability to convince
* Extrovert
* Conviction/dedication to what he/she is doing
* Ability to negotiate
* Proper dress sense
* Creativity and in line with unknown brands
* Patience
* Ability to work without systems

©Entrepreneur July 2010

Tags:
hire, sales, sales force, selling