Hiring a sales rep who won’t succeed is a waste of your time and of theirs. Sales jobs have notoriously high turnover rates, supported by statistics showing that a third of all sales people have been with their companies for less than a year. A hiring mistake can be costly, but is mainly avoidable if the hiring process is conducted carefully. If you’re in the process of hiring a sales rep, use the following tips to help you make sure you hire a sales rep who is well suited to your company and to a career in sales.

1. Review the job opening. Before you post for a job opening, read through it to make sure it’s still relevant. If it’s been a while since you were last hiring a sales rep, you might need to make substantial changes. Also, look very carefully for typos and grammatical errors which can really turn off high-quality candidates.
2. Know what you’re looking for. You’ll probably receive a number of applications, 90% of which can go straight to the recycling bin. The remaining 10% is still probably going to be too large a number to interview, however. Make a list of desired qualifications above the minimum requirements for the job opening and use it to prioritize the applications.
3. Prepare your questions. Write your interview questions out well in advance and use the same ones at each interview. This allows you to keep your comparisons more objective.
4. Keep your questions open. Broad questions make it harder for candidates to figure out what you want to hear, making it more likely that you’ll get a real answer. Instead of “How often do you try to close a prospect?” ask, “What do you do during an appointment with a prospect?”
5. Pay attention to appearance. That doesn’t mean looks, but demeanor, clothing, and body language. A sales rep you want to hire will be appealing in all of those categories, dressing and acting in a professional manner.
6. Call in the big guns. If you need help, don’t hesitate to call a recruitment firm. They will screen candidates and manage the entire process from start to finish.

Hiring a sales rep is an important decision and one that should be taken seriously. Do your best to avoid hiring mistakes and to find the representative who can help your business grow. More can be found here: salesforcesearch.com