When building a sales organization finding the right sales person(s) is the single most difficult task for the company. The right sales person can perform magic for a company whereas a misplaced person can severely damage the image and reputation of a company.
After all you are asking for a person that sells for a living to sell themselves to your company.
In my view there are four pieces to a great candidate:
After all you are asking for a person that sells for a living to sell themselves to your company.In my view there are four pieces to a great candidate:
i) has a network within the targetted industry, not just prospects/customers, but also analysts, competitors, related vendors, investors, and so on
ii) understands the market, the technologies involved, and the limitations it imposes, the future challenges politically, and do they have a future vision
iii) has knowledge about different selling techniques, and sales approaches, understand different financial pricing models, and
iv) has the right personality traits (the black magic)
Below a list of traits that I commonly use to identify if someone has the 'black magic'
People oriented- Risk takers
- Curious and inquisitive
- Results oriented
- Ability to handle objection and rejection
- Tenacious
- Resourceful
- Competitive
- Problem solver
- Good listeners
Certainly many hiring managers will sway their decision based to a candidate that has the right 'feel'.
If this is the case I would challenge you (a) to find three candidates with the 'right feel', and (b) honor both with a well prepared detailed interview.
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