A Sales Compass – A Blog by B2B Sales Connections

The concept of having a virtual sales bench has been around for many years. It has been popularized by the authors of Top Grading for Sales. The concept promotes the need for sales management to always be recruiting because you never know when you will need to fill a vacant territory.

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Before you place a job ad and start to interview candidates, ask yourself if you know exactly what you are looking for.  What are the sales skills required to be successful at selling your product?  What are the personality traits of your top performers?    Take the time to clearly define your perfect sales professionals so that you will recognize it when you see them.  There is not one definition of the ideal sales candidate that fits everyone, but there is one definition that fits you! 

Aim Higher!

Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Connections
www.b2bsalesconnections.com,  www.linkedin.com/in/susanenns, or www.twitter.com/SusanEnns

For automated tools to help you with your sales recruiting, check out our Recruiting, Hiring & Human Resources Tool Kit at http://www.b2bsalesconnections.com/automated_tools.php

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There is a growing movement in small and mid-sized Canadian companies that are searching for ways to connect with recently retired or semi retired business professionals. They are in need of people who can provide knowledge and experience in areas their own management team is lacking. 

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When interviewing candidates for a sales position, it is important to be prepared.  As every candidate is different, if you just let the direction of the meeting go wherever the conversation takes you, it will be like comparing apples to oranges when trying to decide whom to hire.  Besides, having a chat about the local sports team will not guarantee you make the right hire.  In order to properly compare and evaluate the candidates in an interview, you need to ask the same questions of each and every one, and those questions must be scripted a head of time.

If you would like to receive a free copy of “11 Telephone Interview Questions to Find Top Performers”, please send me an email and I will send you a copy immediately.

Aim Higher!

Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Connections
www.b2bsalesconnections.com, www.linkedin.com/in/susanenns, or www.twitter.com/SusanEnns

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You are looking for the perfect Christmas present for a loved one.  Let’s say you decide on a hand crafted silver bracelet that will be unique and meaningful.  Where do you go to buy the gift?  Costco, Walmart, or some other big box store that deals in sales volume and mass marketing of products.

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Jobfox released its hiring report this past summer and listed Sales Representative as the most recession proof career.  In a similar study conducted annually by Manpower Inc. reporting on the most difficult job to fill, sales representative topped the 2006 and 2007 list and slid to second place in 2008. 

Do you know the actual cost of hiring a new sales professional?  Do you know the cost of failing to replace a sales person who is not generating revenue?  How long will you hang on to non-performing sales representatives?  Do you believe it’s better to keep a low performer than replace them?

 One of the best methods of reducing costs is to revisit your existing hiring practices. (more…)

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