The role of sales management is, perhaps, one of the most complex and difficult that exists in any organization.  And among the many duties charged to a typical sales manager, the task of overseeing the hiring process may stand out as the most complicated and time-consuming.

The process of finding the ‘right fit’ for your organization can involve countless man-hours, and is often characterized by numerous opportunities for errors or missteps. This has been complicated even further by the recent economic slump. Whereas it may have been possible for organizations to hire three or four individuals to a position in order to get the right mix of talents, new budget constraints and increased competition are making it more imperative than ever that each individual have enough combined talent to represent ‘the most bang for your buck.’

Tips for Coming Out of the Hiring Process on Top

• Weigh ‘Old Salt’ Against ‘New Blood’

   

Let’s face it: no manager wants to face the unpleasant possibility of letting a member of their sales team go — but knowing how to leverage your talent pool and keep it fresh is critical to the ultimate goal of maximizing overall effectiveness and maintaining consistently high-bar results.                                                                                                                    

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for some salespeople to become overly-comfortable in their positions, especially if they have been a member of the same organization or industry for a considerable period of time. If a particular salesperson’s attitude, drive or ability to bring in business continues to lag despite your best efforts at training, support and reinforcement, your organization may be best served by replacing them with someone better suited to the requirements of the job.

• Pace Yourself

   

Another common mistake made by hiring managers is drawing out the hiring and selection process unnecessarily. Speaking from the perspective of a job-seeker, there is absolutely nothing worse than getting an initial nod of acknowledgement from a company you are genuinely interested in joining, only to have weeks or months pass without hearing another word from them.

The recent economic downturn has resulted in a very favorable job market for sales professionals. Companies are desperately in need of additional manpower to move their products and services to increasingly conservative consumers. As a result of this high demand for their services, your average salesperson can afford to be a bit more selective when shopping the job market. Sales talent will likely focus their attention on companies that show enthusiasm and initiative in recruiting them, rather than waste time waiting on a manager who is slow to engage.

If you want to hire top talent, you should ideally wait until a period when you can accommodate contact with candidates on a weekly (if not twice-weekly) basis. This level of interaction not only leaves the candidate with a favorable impression and a positive example of active follow-up within a business transaction — it also has the added benefit of providing you with more information on how he or she communicates in various settings. 

•  Go Deep

   

These days, any university or vocational skills program worth its salt has training in place to groom its participants in the art of surviving the interview. This has resulted in an entire generation of up-and-coming would-be sales candidate who are adept at masking potentially lackluster selling skills with a stellar face-to-face interview performance.                                                        

The solution: Sales managers can (and definitely should) harness the evaluative power of a good, field-proven personal assessment system.  The ideal assessment will help evaluate and uncover more than just an applicant’s personality; a comprehensive assessment should also be able to tell you how underlying variables such as a candidate’s values, internal motivators and natural behavior style will lend itself to the demands unique to your organization and the position itself. While they may be able to swing an interview in their favor with a bit of well-placed jargon and a firm handshake, a thorough assessment can help you see the ‘big picture’.

• Remember: You Get What You Pay For

   

Another common mistake made by sales managers during the hiring process is failing to speak candidly about their team’s existing pay structure with a candidate as soon as it has been determined that they are qualified and a good fit.

If your organization only pays its salespeople a set salary, you are wasting valuable time pursuing a candidate who is strongly motivated by the potential to earn through commissions. Conversely, your prospect may be put off if he is internally driven by the pursuit of fiscal stability and consistency, and your company only offers a modest base pay in conjunction with generous (if unpredictable) commissions.

Speaking openly about your mutual expectations prior to extending a formal offer of employment can also save you from embarrassing or even insulting a desirable candidate.  The tendency of many sales managers is to try to accomplish a ‘bargain-hire’, or to wrongly assume that sales candidates are pre-wired to haggle for a large starting salary. Under this mindset, you might lead off with a low-ball offer (some managers even intentionally offer a figure that is slightly below what they know the candidate to have been making in their previous positions).

While this tactic does leave you with some room to maneuver before reaching your maximum intended offer, it may also send the unintended message to your prospect that your organization undervalues his or her skills and potential. In this highly competitive job market, such unintended ‘snubs’ can bring hours of otherwise-fruitful interviews and interactions to a screeching halt.  Salespeople —like everyone else — like to know that their efforts and contributions will be adequately valued and respected.

Observing these few simple tips when considering the staffing needs of your sales team can help ensure you find the talent you need, while helping you avoid countless headaches, lost time and revenue in the long haul.