All I Wanted for Christmas was a Good Salesman

Did Santa bring you what you wished for this year? Increased MRR perhaps? Faster service? More automation? How about that sales person who has been on your wish list for quite some time now? Well it doesn’t take a Christmas miracle to land the perfect salesman. So let’s try to kick off your New Year with a fresh start, and a new sales guy.

7 Must Haves for a Sales Professional

Before you run out and look for the perfect sales guy there are a few things you need to have figured out. For one, this is your sales guy… not your sales process operations guy. You need to make sure you have a few things done before you have a new sales hire. Remember, they are being hired to sell… not to create the process. Make sure you have all of these items taken care of:

• Training Program
• Product Offering
• Sales Process
• Presentation
• Proposal
• Agreement
• Money in the Bank

Red Flags

Now as you’re going through applications, there are some red flags you need to look for, because remember, many times with these sales guys, the first sell is YOU and that’s not always a good thing! What exactly should you look for in terms of red flags?

• High Salary
• A Non-Supporting DISC Profile
• Unlikable First Impression
• More Technical Than Sales
• Bad Credit, Civil, and Criminal Background Checks
• No Self-Investment
• Dishonesty
• Unemployed

How to Choose the Resume

There are a few things you need to keep an eye out for:

Inflated Job Titles: Such as Vice President of Sales, Regional Sales Supervisor, or Sales Manager.  Remember, are you looking for a sales guy or a manager? Also, if you’re hiring a sales guy who is used to making a million dollar quota, ask if he was actually selling and closing or just an order taker. Anyone can take down an order, but that’s not what you’re looking for in your superstar is it?

Self-Improvement: Continuing education, sales books, sales training or certifications that show that he is serious about his profession. Sales is just like any other profession, you must keep working to stay on top of trends and new topics. Every professional industry is constantly evolving and it’s up to you to keep current.

Self-Stated Accomplishments: If they met 140 percent of quota each and every month then why did they get fired from their last sales position? If they were promoted to sales manager, were they managing a team of one? Be sure to get verification on everything they tell you. Ask them for the contact information for their last supervisor so you can confirm the 140 percent of quota numbers. Also if they said they made $120,000 last year, ask to see their W-2 for verification. If he’s telling the truth, he’ll have no problem providing proof to back everything up.

Negative Job History: Long periods of unemployment, gaps in jobs, technical or marketing background, or even many jobs in a short period of time are all warnings. There are exceptions to every rule, but still be cautious.

Positive Job History: Now the opposite can be said for the above, say he stayed at his current position for many years and has modest sales goals and his focus was on sales… well it looks like you might have a winner on your hands!

First Call/HR Interview

Be sure to call at an odd hour (outside of normal business hours). This will show how serious he is and see how well he can think on his toes. Nothing too long, just small talk and a few questions about your company and his knowledge about IT. If he passes this test, set up an interview.

Be sure to check the small things, was he on time for his interview? Was he presentable and respectable? Was he kind to the receptionist? If these are a pass, then ask him a series of questions where he has to rank himself on a sliding scale. Flag really high scores and low scores. This is also where you need to have him submit any supporting documentation, verify information, and then follow up with his references and see that they all check out.

From here you need to present him with the offer. If this guy is good then you’re not the only place he is looking to work, so don’t assume you’re his only gig. Give him a reason to pick you over all of the other companies he is looking at. From here, it’s time for the training roadmap. We like to give a sales professional a 90 day ramp up period so they can be fully versed in not only our company and industry, but also what the best solutions are for the client and how to properly sell on each one of them. You can’t sell a solution that doesn’t meet the needs of the client, or if the client can’t see value in the solution you’re presenting. You can have the best solution on the market, but if the sales person doesn’t know how to sell it, it doesn’t mean anything. The 90 Day roadmap can be found www.chartec.net/90day  for you to take, tweak, and ultimately make your own!

Gabe Ulloa is interactive media and marketing event coordinator at CharTec, which offers HaaS, BDR and training services to MSPs. Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of MSPmentor’s annual platinum sponsorship.