C. Lee Smith, SalesFuel founder and CEO
How many sales professionals are hired in the U.S. every day? The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the number at 1.8 million. Many of these jobs are entry-level.
If you’re trying to recruit an entry-level salesperson, what should you look for? How can you spot real sales talent? You can’t rely on experience, but you can use objective data from psychometric assessments to find the candidate with the best fit.
How Much Does Experience Matter?
As the resumes and applications roll in for your open sales position, you’ll have a lot of data to sift through. People applying for an entry-level position may not have much experience in the work world and likely none in the sales profession. How will you know if they will make a good salesperson?
Presuming you’ve created a realistic job description, the candidates should have some understanding of what they’ll be expected to do on a daily basis. These candidates don’t necessarily need experience in sales to succeed. But you should determine whether they possess a few key skills.
The best way to do this is to ask them to take an assessment. An assessment platform like TeamTrait allows you to identify candidates who have the right motivation, work ethic and fit. The assessment also scores the candidate in terms of communication skills and problem-solving abilities.
Which Skills Matter?
Work Ethic
In the sales field, successful reps need a strong work ethic. It typically takes many outreaches before they can close a deal. An individual with significant drive and hustle could become a successful sales rep. Assessment scores will reveal which candidates have sufficient drive — meaning they are willing to work hard to achieve a goal.
What to ask in the interview: Even if a candidate doesn’t have much professional experience, you can ask about the successes they’re proud of. Did they play a big role in their school’s sports team’s championship season? Have they helped a nonprofit organization reach a funding goal by making calls to donors? Their answer will show how they worked to achieve success.
Problem-Solving Skills
Despite your best efforts at training and coaching, entry-level sales reps will encounter problems they didn’t expect. A prospect may describe an issue that the sales rep doesn’t understand. Or they won’t see how to solve the prospect’s business problem with the solution they’re selling.
The ability to think quickly and deliver an acceptable answer is a measure of their problem-solving skills. Often, the acceptable answer is promising to research the topic and getting back to the prospect. A good assessment will rank a candidate’s problem-solving ability.
What to ask in the interview: Ask the candidate to describe a challenging situation they encountered and how they solved it. Listen for evidence that they identified the problem, considered alternatives and developed a satisfactory solution. Encourage them to talk about a school-related or personal issue if they lack work experience.
Communication Skills
An entry-level sales professional will spend a lot of time communicating with prospects. Review their application and resume in detail. Are they able to articulate their experience, skills and interests?
Don’t hesitate to give them a written test before setting up or during an interview. For example, ask them to write an email that answers a specific question. This approach tests their listening and their writing skills.
In the interview: Watch for how they engage with you. Do they make eye contact and smile? Are they well-spoken? Are they checking their phone constantly?
Summary
A high potential entry-level sales candidate does not necessarily need relevant experience. If they have a strong work ethic and possess good communication skills, you can use sales assessment tests to determine whether they are a good fit for the team and the hiring manager. Using this process, today’s perfect entry-level sales hire could become tomorrow’s rainmaker.
