Website design By BotEap.comFor many small business owners, the task of recruiting sales staff is very stressful. There are so many things to consider. Ask yourself if any of these thoughts come to mind as you go through this process:
- How much should i pay?
- How should I structure the payment?
- Should you restructure everyone’s pay?
- Do I need someone with experience?
- I need to hire someone because I am too busy to do my job, how am I going to find the time to attract and acquire the right person for me?
- How do I know who is the right person for me?
- I don’t have time to handle these people.
- I don’t have time to train these people.
Website design By BotEap.comAs the list goes on in eternity.
Website design By BotEap.comThe fact is, it is an important decision that you must take seriously. Many of these are legitimate concerns for organizations of all sizes. This very morning I was in my twice-monthly networking group in Worcester, MA, when one of the members mentioned that he was looking to hire a salesperson. He insisted that he needed someone who he did not have to teach to sell. He recognized that the candidate did not need industry experience as long as he had sales experience.
Website design By BotEap.comI reached out to him after the meeting and we began to discuss the realities of the sales experience. The fact is, sales are tough. You need to have a certain attitude to be successful in sales.
Website design By BotEap.comHere’s the terrifying part in study after study of
Successful people (not just sales people), future success has little to do with past experiences. Many of the most successful people in the world have a past full of failures.
Website design By BotEap.comHere’s another thing to consider. I think by now we can all agree to at least acknowledge the Pareto Principle, or what is more commonly known as the 80/20 Rule. This rule implies that 80% of your results come from 20% of your employees. This is especially true in sales. Each month, the majority of your sales come from the top 20% of your sales team.
Website design By BotEap.comDon’t take my word for it. Look at last year’s results and determine what percentage of your sales force was responsible for 80% of your revenue.
Website design By BotEap.comNow consider what this means. It means that 80% of “experienced” people
set to produce less than 25% of sales revenue.
Website design By BotEap.comAre you sure you want to require experience?
Website design By BotEap.comWith the purpose of
Build a better workforce And create influence for yourself, you must define what your company stands for and hire people who share your beliefs and passions.
Website design By BotEap.comAm I saying ignore the experience? Well maybe. (When comparing candidates, you should certainly consider experience, but don’t assume that just because someone has experience they have been trained.)
Website design By BotEap.comI think closer to the point is to focus on the things that have been shown to predict job success and frankly, prior experience is not one of those things.
