Hiring Salespeople & Creating a Winning Sales Culture

Hiring the Ideal Salesperson: An Entrepreneur's Guide

Countless businesses stumble upon the error of hiring the wrong Salesperson or rushing to recruit before they're fully prepared. Take Bryan, an IT Company owner, for instance. Over time, he hired numerous sales representatives, each averaging a 7-month stay. Despite investing hundreds of thousands of dollars, Bryan saw a negative ROI.

Understanding when and how to pinpoint the ideal Salesperson is paramount for your company's longevity. Nail this down, and your business could skyrocket to unprecedented heights. However, mishandling could lead to considerable time, money, and frustration losses.

In a recent Live LinkedIn Audio Event, I delved into the 'When,' 'Why,' and 'How' of hiring salespeople. I aim to present a recap here and provide the live session recording.

Recording from Live LinkedIn Event

From my experience as a Salesperson in over 14 companies across 11 different industries, I've witnessed the range of good, bad, and ugly in the sales world. In my first Sales Position, I was the company's poorest performer. Among 119 Sales reps, I ranked 119th! But, I had a life-changing event one evening when my boss invited me for dinner.

That evening, my boss transitioned into my mentor. He confronted me about my subpar results, encouraging and challenging me to follow the System and Process. His words, "Chaz, you can be the top Salesperson in the company, BUT you've got to follow the System and the Process because they are proven. We've spent hundreds of hours developing this process, and if you follow it, I have no doubt you'll be the top sales rep in the company."

Within 45 days, I catapulted from 119th to the #3 Salesperson in the company, thanks to my boss's guidance, motivation, and clear direction. Coupled with a Proven Sales Process to follow, this experience gives you a glimpse into what it takes to guide and motivate your Salesperson to reach their potential. Let's delve deeper into this by discussing practical questions below, but first, let's identify the Fatal Flaws that keep your Salespeople from reaching their potential.

8 Fatal Flaws in Leading Your Salespeople

???1. Managing Instead of Leading: Focusing on micro-management rather than inspirational leadership. Salespeople are rare, and knowing how to lead them to their potential will inspire them and grow your business.

???2. Lack of a Clear Vision: Failing to provide a vision that motivates and guides the sales team. The number one indicator for your Salespeople's success is BELIEF in your PRODUCT/SERVICE. They won't be passionate about selling your solution if they don't know how your solutions transform your clients' lives.

???3. Unclear Expectations: Not setting distinct, understandable goals and objectives for the sales team. Without clear direction, your salespeople will wander all over the place, wasting their time and costing you money.

???4. Lack of Accountability: Failing to hold salespeople accountable for their actions and results. Consistent accountability leads to steady growth because you understand exactly what areas your salespeople need to work.

???5. Creating a Culture that Fears Failure: Not fostering an environment where salespeople feel safe to take risks and learn from mistakes. Your Salespeople have to be comfortable taking chances and not fear retribution. A culture that celebrates your salespeople taking action outside of their comfort zone will lead to explosive growth. I

???6. Lack of a Proven Sales Process: Lack of a structured, effective sales process that guides sales activities. I've talked with thousands of CEOs, Presidents, and Founders, and most don't have a proven sales process in place. You are doomed to failure if you don't have a proven system and process for your salespeople to follow. The Proven Sales Process ensures they cover all steps needed to most likely onboard a new client.

???7. Lack of a Tailored Selling System: Missing a customized selling approach that aligns with the company's products or services. There are many selling systems that teach soft skills and help with knowing how to influence the prospect during communications, but most of these selling systems are generic in nature and aren't customized to your business. Ask me about my Fractional Chief Revenue Officer Services by CLICKING HERE. I'll help you set the system, the process, the mentoring, and the leadership to help YOU and YOUR salespeople thrive.

???8. Inadequate Focus Training and Roleplay: Not providing focused training and practice opportunities that enable salespeople to refine their skills. Train them according to their specific needs at that moment in time. The correct roleplaying advances your Salespeople's skills quickly and develops a Growth Mindset that enables them to sell like nothing else.

Ensure you have a Winning Sales Culture in Place for your Salespeople to Thrive!

**GET HELP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

>>Reach out to me, and I'll analyze your current Sales Culture, System, and Process - Schedule your complimentary Sales Culture Analysis - Click here

The Sales Culture Analysis can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars and ensure you hire the right salespeople into a Winning Sales Culture that Doubles Sales.

Why Hire a Salesperson?

The decision to hire a salesperson should be firmly rooted in rational reasons. If you're hiring because you're tired of selling or handling specific tasks, you're more likely to blunder during the hiring process. For example, consider our client Melvin, who hired a salesperson to replace him without clearly understanding his needs, resulting in significant frustration and financial losses.

What Type of Salesperson to Hire?

Comprehend your business's specific needs and hire accordingly. Melvin needed a hunter (a salesperson who actively seeks leads) but mistakenly hired a farmer (a salesperson who nurtures existing clients). To avoid similar errors, please check whether your business needs a Business Development Rep (BDR) to generate leads via cold outbound methods, a Sales Development Rep (SDR) to qualify and nurture incoming leads and convert them into clients, or a mix of both.

How Will You Support Them?

A salesperson needs distinct support, unlike other roles in your company. A support structure should be in place to hold them accountable, challenge them, provide roleplaying opportunities, and track their data. My first boss offered me support, a Proven Sales Process to follow, and a Selling System to help me understand how to sell. (Support, Proven Sales Process, and Selling System)

Sales Process vs. Sales System

For clarity, a Sales Process is sometimes called a Sales Cycle. In contrast, a Sales System or Selling System describes how you navigate each step of the Sales Process.

The Sales Process involves:

1. Researching Your Target Market
2. Prospecting
3. Scheduling a Meeting/Qualification
4. Understanding Client Needs
5. Removing Roadblocks
6. Handling Objections
7. Closing the Deal
8. Nurturing and Continuing to Sell

This 8-step Sales Process provides a roadmap for you and your Salespeople. However, your team might need a Proven Selling System to gain the soft skills necessary for effective selling.

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Unpacking the Selling System:

The Selling System equips you and your salespeople with the soft skills essential for successful communication. It helps you understand what to say and how to communicate it.

An individual might strictly adhere to the sales process yet only convert a meager percentage of leads. The missing piece? Soft skills managed and led within a Proven Sales Process and Selling System.

Continuous learning, coaching, and training can hone your and your team's skills, keeping you attuned to the evolving market trends.

Components of a Successful Sales System:

1. Intention: Begin with the aim to serve, not sell. This shifts your dialogue with prospects and builds trust.
2. Rapport Building: Trust is vital. With it, you can save your salespeople and prospects time. Sales is about an open dialogue to identify a problem and collaborate on its solution.
3. Budget: Skillfully understanding your prospect's budget is critical. How you frame and deliver your question can make or break a potential lead.
4. Decision-Maker Identification: Engage with the right person. Knowing how to include the decision-maker in conversations will lead you to the needs and wants of the person who truly matters.
5. Clarity on Next Steps: Each conversation should conclude with clear next steps, ensuring the prospect is invested in the process.
6. Uncovering the Problem: It's crucial to identify the extent of the problem and its cost to the prospect. Understand how the problem hinders them from achieving their goals, then present a laser-focused solution.
7. Presenting Your Offer: Present your solution live to address their concerns directly. Never email your presentation. Your presentation should address their problems, solve them, and show how you can help them reach their goals.
8. Roadblock Removal: Identify and remove roadblocks proactively. By doing that, you will be able to reduce the need to overcome objections later.
9. Closing/Onboarding: The right mindset and perspective in closing the sale will help ensure a smooth transition from prospect to client.
10. Overcome Objections: Address any remaining objections with empathy and assertiveness.
11. Post Sale: Prevent buyer's remorse by having your new client take immediate action on the following steps to succeed with your solution.

In essence, hiring a successful salesperson entails understanding why and when to hire, what type of Salesperson to recruit, and how to provide the necessary support and structure for them to excel. Integrating a well-structured Sales Process and a robust Selling System is integral to empowering salespeople and scaling your business to new heights.

Stuck without a System To Predictably Attract New Clients?

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