How To Hire Salespeople
(Who Will Be Engaged)
By Glenn Fallavollita, President - Drip Marketing, Inc.

• Word count: 481
• Time to read: 1.9 minutes @ 250 words per minute

An engaged sales team can and will have a direct impact on your company’s bottom line, as they are the ones who will:

• Produce high-quality results.
• Strive for improvements to sales processes and procedures.
• Search for solutions to a customer’s problem.

In your search for building an engaged sales team, it is in your best interest to recruit employees who will have the best chance of being engaged.

The Average Hiring Process In America Takes Approximately 23* Days.

When a company needs to hire a new salesperson, I have listed below the process many companies follow: 

• The job is posted online.
• Resumes are gathered.
• Candidates are selected.
• Zoom and phone interviews are completed.
• The final group (of candidates) is interviewed, and job skills are assessed.
• A second face-to-face interview gets done.
• The final candidate is presented an offer. 

Depending on the size of your company, and the position requirements, a second and/or third interview is done before a final candidate is chosen.  

*According to Glassdoor Economic Research

How Can A Hiring Manager Determine A Candidate’s Engagement Level?

Before a salesperson is hired, the sales manager will spend a few hours talking with a candidate.  To help you avoid hiring a disengaged salesperson, here are some suggestions to review:

• Ask About Their Interests Outside Of Work – Does your candidate have outside interests in their life?  All experts agree that one’s passion in outside interests will carry over into their professional career.
• Ask Why Questions – Ask “why” questions instead of “how” and “what.” Remember, it is more important to know why they did something versus how something was done.
• Make Sure Other Staff Members Interview Your Final Candidates – Always include members of staff, or other managers, to be part of the interview process.
• Observe Someone’s Body Language During The Interview Process – Ask yourself this: Does the candidate get excited when they describe a problem they solved? Do they project confidence? Do you hear the excitement in their voice? If the candidate does not give you confidence in their critical thinking skills, you may not want them on your team.
• Use Assessment Tools/Resources – I recommend using third-party behavioral analysis assessment tools to help determine if someone will fit into your culture.  That being said, this process is a good idea to help you determine if this person will be a good match for your business.

Executive Summary: Make sure you use effective strategies and tactics to hire someone who will have a greater chance of being an engaged salesperson. As I advise all of our clients, your businesses cannot afford to hire the wrong salesperson – especially when the average turnover is 50% to 60% in their first year of employment.