Tons of people seem like they’re interested in a career in sales and marketing, but when it comes down to being able to keep these people employed in the same sales jobs — or even just at the same company — there aren’t so many people these days who can say that they’ve stayed at a company for a long time and/or would never plan on leaving their current place of employment.

In other words, when you’re hiring sales people, you don’t just need to find new employees who will fit well in your company’s environment and will bring valuable aspects to your company; you need to find people who are passionate about what they do and who see their own success as part of the company’s larger success.

Yes, that makes the hiring process seem just a bit more complicated. But if you keep your mind open and you know which traits to look for in an applicant, you might just find that you’re hiring better sales people who stay with the company and ensure its success. For starters,

• Money isn’t always the biggest motivator, but it’s definitely important. Companies should be aware that it will be impossible to keep good employees if another company is offering more money and is actively seeking them out; that being said, if you’re hiring sales people who only have money on their minds, you could find that their motivation to work starts running out if the business hits a bumpy spot.
  

• Having the ability to work with technology is one of the most important traits a person can have today in nearly any job, and it’s not so important that the person knows a particular technology as much as the person is capable of learning the technology quickly.
  

• And specifically with sales jobs, there are a few personal traits that just help certain people stand out: charisma, dedication, energy, and perseverance are some of the traits that successful sales people always seem to have. If you’re hiring for a sales position and you just get the feeling that someone doesn’t have the right personality for the job, it’s probably because they’re lacking in one of these areas. And deciding not to give them the job is okay — you’re making sure that your company is hiring people who will work best in the environment.

So now the conversation is up to you — what tips do you have for someone hiring sales people? What things would you suggest to avoid in the hiring process? Be sure to share your own tips and tricks with us in the comments section!