The level of many businesses’ success rests on the shoulders of the IT sales hire. They are responsible for creating conversions, and without them, profits would plummet. It is, therefore, crucial that you can identify the qualities that make quality sales hires. If you’re able to do this, the individual that you hire will be an asset and add value to your company. They’ll also be able to reaffirm expectations of high standards for anyone joining the team in the future. However, hiring the right person is no easy feat. A recent survey found that 84% of today’s business leaders don’t think they have the appropriate sales team to succeed. Using an IT recruitment agency is a way around this, getting you recruits who will perform.
You probably already know that you should consider every candidate’s track record. How they have performed in the past will give you a good indication of how they will perform in the future. But track record will only tell you so much. It could be that a salesperson has a seemingly good record because they’ve met their goals. But perhaps they haven’t met with specific challenges along the way that reveal more about how they handle an array of problems and difficult situations. So how else are you going to measure the worth of an IT sales hire?
Goal orientation
Every business wants goal-orientated employees, but goal orientation for an IT sales hire is especially vital. More than 50% of sellers missed quota in 2018, and 61% of salespeople say that selling is harder or much harder today than five years ago. Being successful in sales now is more challenging, and therefore, fewer salespeople perform as well.
Individual performances impact the bottom line, so you want to hire someone who can meet expectations. Not only that but if they reach their goals earlier than expected, they need to be motivated enough to exceed them.
Resilience
It’s not easy to be a successful salesperson as the majority of their efforts won’t result in conversions. Those not well-suited to the job could potentially find it demotivating and unrewarding. This is unsurprising when 80% of sales calls go to voicemail, and 90% of first -time voice mails are never returned.
Practising techniques such as cold calling can sometimes be met with hostility by those who don’t want to receive them. That’s why an IT sales hire with high levels of resilience is invaluable to your sales team- and company as a whole.
Accountability
IT salespeople aim to consistently meet goals and develop their skills, which should see their sales increase gradually over time as they develop and refine their techniques. However, with many salespeople falling short of their quota, you must recruit someone who will reflect on and take accountability for their performance. This way, they can identify what went well and what didn’t. That way, they can take actions to improve their performance in the future.
It’s essential to bear in mind that everyone faces various life pressures beyond their control that can affect their performance. It’s bound to happen to the best of us. However, if a salesperson is consistently missing targets and taking no accountability, they’re unlikely to improve in the long run.
Businesses also need to lead by example. 91% of employees rank accountability as one of their organisation’s top development needs. If there’s a culture that positively encourages accountability, your employees are more likely to get on board.
Conclusion
It can be challenging to gauge whether an IT sales hire possesses these 3 crucial attributes. Any salesperson can sell themselves well in an interview, it’s what they do for a living, after all! Using behavioural assessments are useful for helping you distinguish who meets the criteria. IT recruitment agencies are also a helpful tool. They have the experience to assess candidates and source the very best talent for your team. If you want to read more, click here to find out what 7 attributes to look out for in IT salespeople.
At GK recruitment, we have over 20 years of IT recruitment experience. If you need help recruiting a successful IT salesperson, we can help you find your perfect match. Contact us on 01257 429 499 or email us at info@gkrecruitment.com.
