When Willy Loman is no longer an asset to the company he works for in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, his employer fires him, which leads to his eventual downfall. Though Loman is fictional, and his story is a largely exaggerated one, the reality is that businesses need talented sales people to become profitable. When sales people can’t hit their quotas, business owners and managers have no choice but to let them go and try to replace them. That contributes to the fact that sales positions have high turnover rates and nearly a third of sales pros have been with their current company for less than a year. It also makes hiring sales representatives who are capable and qualified a highly important process.
No matter how good the product or service that a business sells might be, without hiring sales representatives who can close deals, success will be hard to find. The idea that products “sells themselves” is a myth in most industries, and sales teams are where businesses generate revenue. Unfortunately, not every employer knows how to hire sales reps, and there are a number of common mistakes that lead to poor hires and missing out on the most talented people. Errors like talking too much in interviews and holding out too long for the “perfect” candidate can be quite costly. As a result, many employers will turn to dependable recruitment firms for help.
There are a few things that talented recruiters will look for when hiring sales representatives. For one, sales pros need to be confident and have the ability to sell themselves, as well as a product, which is different than many other positions. In addition, they’ll have to look for patience and perseverance that are vital for making difficult sales and also the ability to stay motivated, since many sales people do not work regular office hours. It can be hard to spot those qualities in even the most comprehensive interviewing processes, but recruiters are generally trained to know how to spot those qualities.
Even the most experienced recruiters and employers will never know for sure whether or not a hire will turn out to be a great asset to a company. After all, many people are skilled at making a great impression with a nice resume and a good interview. And it is also impossible to know when a professional will lose their confidence and struggle, much like Willy Loman. The only thing owners and managers can do to protect themselves is make the hiring process is thorough as possible and work hard to hire the right people. At times, that means working with experienced and reliable recruiters. Check out this site for more.
