It often takes a long time before companies secure their top sales representatives, with much trial and error. The turnover in sales is incredibly high because it takes real analysis and understanding of the position in order to fill it properly. Not every hiring manager has done this work, or knows where to begin, and without deciphering what the true needs of a given role are, the job will continue to be tackled haphazardly by hires who aren’t well-suited for it. Thankfully there are ways to avoid making hiring mistakes or putting the success of your present team in jeopardy.
Most importantly, do not put so much emphasis on the interviewing process. Studies show that a seemingly strong interview says very little about a prospective employee’s ability to sell. Furthermore, it often takes up a great amount of time and company resources while giving smooth-talkers the opportunity to “play a role” in order to get hired. Looking to a well-crafted resume isn’t necessarily helpful either, as resumes give very little insight to how an applicant performed in previous roles or how they will manage in the position you’re hiring for long term.
Instead of, or in addition to conducting in-person interviews, include a sales personality test at any point in the application to give the process some more transparency. Ordering from companies like Salestestonline.com who perform a comprehensive analysis of your position, will help you to determine exactly which qualities you should be looking for. These qualities are then displayed as part of a target profile against which potential candidates are compared. The higher the score, the closer they are to having the type of sales personality that will build your company’s revenue.
The test only takes applicants ten minutes to complete, with results available instantaneously online. You will see whether a candidate has enough motivation, sociability, sense of urgency, and stamina to determine probability of success. If you do choose to interview, you then have a better idea about who to bring into the office for an informal talk – who spend your energy on. It takes the guesswork out of hiring, preventing you from employing people that will be packing up their cubicle in just a few short months. The test results may also surprise you and encourage you to bring in a candidate with unrealized potential – remember certain skills and training can always be taught, but a weak sales personality can rarely be changed.
The truth is not everyone is suited for sales, sometimes not even the obvious choice for a job. The success of a salesperson stems from the nuances in character and how well they can carry a call (which you may not see until post-hire). Therefore, use a sales personality test as a tool to find those best mentally suited for the work. It may very well be that they don’t suit one position but are a great fit for another which creates an opportunity to reap an employee’s full potential.