RECRUITMENT
Vinny Kelly.
“No matter what industry you’re in, the type of salesperson you want to hire is one who is interested in your product…”
AFTER YEARS OF INTERVIEWING THOUSANDS OF SALESPEOPLE, FOUR KEY AREAS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY TACTICAL TALENT WHICH CAN DISTINGUISH TOP-TIER CANDIDATES FROM THE REST… Identifying top-tier salespeople at interviews
Finding the right sales professionals for your business is essential for driving profitability, and Tactical Talent believes this is achieved by nurturing and growing key accounts, bringing in new clients, uncovering sales opportunities and bringing fresh ideas to your team. After years of interviewing thousands of salespeople, four key areas have been identified by Tactical Talent which can distinguish top-tier candidates from the rest. MASTERY OF SALES FIGURES Successful salespeople know their numbers inside out so, during the interview, ask for specific examples of how they achieved their sales goals and the strategies they employed. They must know their previous sales figures, margins, conversion rates and targets, and how they performed against them. Questions might include: What were your sales targets in your previous role, and how did you perform against them? Can you break down your sales performance over the last quarter/year? BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS Strong relationships are the cornerstone of successful sales and are essential to
assessing how well candidates can build and maintain these relationships. Top-tier salespeople will have numerous examples and stories showcasing their ability to forge strong, lasting connections with clients. They will emphasise listening skills, empathy and consistent follow up as key components of their relationship-building process. Consider asking: Can you give an example of how you built a long-term relationship with a client? Why do you think people buy from you? PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE No matter what industry you’re in, the type of salesperson you want to hire is one who is interested in your product and, if not already familiar with it, should have taken the time to research and learn as much as they can about it prior to meeting you. Evaluate their product knowledge with questions like: What do you know about our main product lines? Have you had the chance to see our products in action? How would you position our products to potential clients?
demonstrate their dedication and preparedness.
OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES Understanding the operational challenges a salesperson has faced can provide insight into their problem-solving abilities and resilience. You might expect them to have encountered issues such as supply chain interruptions, product shortages, pricing and margin pressures or system issues in previous roles. What’s important here is that they can describe the impact it had on their ability to sell, and how they overcame that. You might ask: What operational challenges have you encountered in previous roles that negatively impacted your sales? How did you overcome these challenges? Tactical Talent conducts interviews with all sales candidates for assessment under these four key areas prior to introducing them to clients. Vinny Kelly E: vkelly@tacticaltalent.ie Iseult McLaughlin E: imclaughlin@tacticaltalent.ie
Candidates who can discuss your products confidently and highlight specific features and benefits
T: +353 (0)1 907 9192 www.tacticaltalent.ie
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