by Lynn Effinger
In any business large, small and in between, by far the most effective salesperson is she/he who is passionate about the product or service and company they represent. It only makes sense; if you do not believe in the company and the products and/or services they provide, how could you possibly convince anyone else to believe in them? And despite my lead-in statement, this is particularly critical for small businesses. In a small business the sales and marketing responsibilities often fall on the owner or president of the company. This should be a good thing since no one will typically be more passionate about what you have to offer.
If you as the owner are not the primary sales and marketing representative for your company, hiring the right person to carry out this critical function is extremely important. As a small business owner you do not have the luxury of making a mistake by hiring someone who does not develop the passion that it takes to compete, especially in a down economy such as we continue to find ourselves. Here are a few suggestions for making the best decision you can about which person you are going to hire (you’ll notice that I do not overemphasize previous sales experience, although it is certainly a factor to be considered):
- 1.Read the applicants’ resumes very carefully. Focus on their background, of course, but look for enthusiastic words that describe their achievements that could demonstrate where their passions lie.
- 2.Interview the candidates both over the phone initially, then in person. An individual’s telephone demeanor can be quite different than their in-person presentation of themselves. Since cold-calling often plays a big role in sales, it will help you to know how they handle themselves on the phone.
- 3.When you interview them in person take note of the candidates’ body language in addition to how they are dressed. Slouchy or lazy-looking posture is not a sign of passion, and neither is an unkempt appearance.
- 4.Try to find subjects during the interview that seem to interest the interviewee or are of common interest to you both. Their animation about certain subjects might telegraph their level of enthusiasm about things they like or like to do.
- 5.Verbally test them regarding how they might overcome a prospect’s objections. See how they react “on their feet” in these types of situations.
- 6.While questioning them about their level of sales experience be sure to consider their enthusiasm and passion for what you have told them about your company, products and services, and their belief in their ability to sell others, because this is more important, in my opinion, than length of time in sales alone. They must sell you.
I hope you will find these tips helpful. They have served me well in the past as a small business owner and manager of other people’s companies.
Lynn Effinger is a consultant associated with Transaction Dynamics, LLC. He is also an accomplished motivational speaker, life coach, trainer, marketing expert, and the author of his newly released memoir, “Believe to Achieve – The Power of Perseverance,” available as a paperback and Kindle-book on Amazon.com. You can learn more by visiting www.effingercomunications.com.