Building Your Dream Sales Team: Tips for Selecting the Right Salespeople

Sales roles can be among the most difficult to fill in business because the options are almost limitless while time definitely isn’t. Here’s how to quickly and accurately find the right fits for your company.

Salespeople are the architects of revenue and success for your company. They serve as the vital link between prospective customers and your bottom line, increasing your chances of profit and growth.

Ideally, your sales team will be the key factor in converting potential leads into loyal customers, driving revenue, and propelling your company toward unparalleled success. But all salespeople aren’t created equal, which is a common reason why some businesses don’t succeed.

With that in mind, it’s important to understand that choosing the right salespeople from the vast pool of available options is one of the most crucial decisions you can make for the long-term health of your business. An excellent salesperson is the key to unleashing your company’s full potential to effectively navigate challenges, build lasting customer relationships, and ultimately succeed. 

But what defines an ideal salesperson, and how can you identify the perfect fit for your business? Continue reading to find out!

Characteristics of effective salespeople

Effective salespeople are those who successfully connect with prospects and close deals. Not surprisingly, they often possess a few common characteristics, including:

• Good communication skills: Sales professionals with excellent communication skills are better at articulating the value of their products or services. They’re also good listeners who strive to understand their prospects’ concerns and respond in the best way possible. 
• Product knowledge: To successfully sell a product, a sales rep has to understand everything about it so they can answer any questions that come up. Good salespeople do everything possible to increase their product knowledge, from attending formal training programs to reading all pertinent product manuals, documentation, etc.
• Resilience: According to statistics, 60% of prospects reject a pitch four times before saying yes. The right salespeople understand that rejection is part of the game and make it their mission to push ahead no matter what. 
• Empathy: This is arguably the most important skill in sales. The best salespeople use empathy to understand their prospects, identify their pain points, and address them effectively. Without empathy, it’s difficult to foster healthy, long-term relationships with customers. 
• Adaptability: Times change, and so do customer needs and preferences. Adaptability enables salespeople to tailor their strategies to remain relevant. It also helps ambitious sales professionals master new technologies that can help them reach and serve customers more efficiently.

Common types of salespeople

While everyone is different, most salespeople can be grouped into one of these personality types:

A hustler is a salesperson who's driven and focused on clear goals and aspirations. Hustlers don't make excuses, never take no for an answer, and take on different prospects, including difficult individuals their colleagues abhor. While their zeal may position them to close a lot of deals, they’re not usually very good at building strong relationships. They also tend to come off as pushy.

• Teach prospects something valuable
• Tailor each pitch to a unique individual
• Take control of every conversation

Most Challengers have strong negotiating and resilience skills. But like Hustlers, they often come across as overly aggressive and pushy.

3. Lone wolves

Lone Wolves are not team players. They prefer to work alone instead of collaborating with others. They mostly thrive in solitary environments where they can take control of the entire sales process from start to finish. While they can often be highly effective, they rarely seek help when needed, which can cause problems. Plus, their performance often lags when team-oriented projects are involved.

4. Team players

Team Players are the exact opposite of Lone Wolves, meaning they excel the most when they’re a part of a group. Their collaborative and cooperative attitudes often play a significant role in boosting overall team performance. On the other hand, they aren’t likely to perform well in independent sales roles. Plus, since they rely heavily on their colleagues’ input, Team Players often have trouble making quick decisions, especially on their own.

The right salespeople for your business

Now that you’re familiar with the different types of sales professionals, let's discuss how to identify and hire the best fits for your organization.

1. First, assess your current sales team and identify slots that need filling. Focus especially on existing skills gaps and factor them into your hiring process.
2. Set sales goals and objectives that will act as a roadmap for your hiring process. Use these elements to identify salespeople who will help your business reach its objectives.
3. Identify your target market and look for job candidates who’ve had success working with similar types of people. They will be better prepared to build strong relationships with your prospects and convert them into loyal customers.
4. Finally, consider the complexity of your product or service. If your business deals with complicated products like medical devices, for example, seek out salespeople who can explain technical details clearly.

Sounds easy, right? Yeah, not so much. Which is why it often pays to bring in some outside help to make sure you’re hiring the best salespeople for your organization.

You don’t have to go it alone

At MetaGrowth Ventures, we understand that recruiting new salespeople can be incredibly time-consuming and challenging. But it doesn’t have to be. Our team of sales training experts can streamline your entire hiring process – from recruiting to onboarding – leaving you free to focus on the big picture of running your business.

Would you like to leverage the power of successful recruitment workflows to find the best salespeople for your company? Connect with MetaGrowth today, and let’s start developing a strategy for building that world-class sales team you’ve always dreamed of.