As we head into hiring season, it's crucial to focus on finding the right B2B salesperson who will not only meet but exceed your company's expectations. B2B sales can be challenging, especially if you miss the mark on the type of individual you welcome into your team. This blog focuses on tried-and-tested tips for finding an excellent B2B salesperson. Impatient? You can skip to the action items at the end. Need some personalized advice before making your next hire? Grab a quick 15-minute chat.
How to Find a Good B2B Salesperson: Steal 6 Tips From Me!
Hiring a good B2B salesperson is paramount for your company's growth. You're entrusting these individuals with the task of expanding your revenue, and a misstep in this process can be costly. With years of experience and quite a few lessons learned the hard way, I'm sharing five essential tips and a bonus to help you navigate this crucial decision.
Experience in Your Industry? Not Required.
Contrary to popular belief, a candidate does not need extensive experience in your specific industry. I've placed my faith in the power of training and the existing expertise within the team. Consider your implementation, customer service, or operations team as the subject matter experts. They can offer the necessary support to a salesperson as they get into the weeds. Focus instead on their ability to absorb and apply knowledge effectively.
Ethics Above All
Work ethic and personal ethic are non-negotiables. The interview process offers limited time to judge these qualities, so integrate 'what if' scenarios and long-form conversations to gauge their responses. Ask their references about how they structure their day and generate leads. This can reveal whether your candidate thrives on self-motivation or relies heavily on external support.
Understand the Game of Sales
Sales isn't a one-touch game; it requires persistence and multi-channel engagement. On average, Gartner suggests it takes 17-20 touches to engage a prospect. Seek out candidates who get this, who don’t give up after the first try, and who use varied methods—calls, emails, social media, video messages—to keep engagements fresh and effective.
Relationship Building is Key
In B2B sales, partnerships are gold. Referrals close deals faster and more reliably than cold outreach. Hire someone who understands the immense value of building long-term relationships with clients, partners, and internal departments. Look for cues in their answers to how they generate leads and maintain connections.
Genuine Care for Customer Success
A good B2B salesperson sticks around to ensure the ongoing success of their customer. Are they follow-through champions or do they vanish after the contract is signed? Ask them, "What do you typically do after the contract is signed?" A surprising number of candidates will struggle to answer. Someone who genuinely wants to understand and solve customer problems will stand out.
Consultative Approach
The ideal salesperson asks more questions than they answer. During the interview, present common objections and scenarios to see their problem-solving techniques. Do they engage by understanding what’s important to the prospect, or do they jump into product features? The former approach indicates a consultative mindset—one more likely to succeed in today's complex sales environment.
Bonus Tip: Where to Find Them
You might find your next star salesperson closer than you think. Pay attention to excellent salespeople you interact with and build relationships over time. Running ads? LinkedIn is your best bet for a quality candidate pool. Though it’s not the cheapest option, the quality outweighs the cost. Don’t be discouraged by candidates who aren’t very active on the platform; many utilize LinkedIn for research without frequent posting.
Action Steps:
Prior experience in your industry is not crucial.
Focus on ethics and work ethic—use long, casual conversations to learn more.
Look for an understanding of the need for multiple touches and multi-channel engagement.
Prioritize relationship-building skills.
Ensure they care about continued customer success.
Find someone who takes a consultative approach.
Hiring a stellar B2B salesperson doesn't have to be daunting. I hope these tips ease any anxieties you might have about making your next hire. Stay tuned, as we're also gearing up to share tips on ensuring a new hire's success and how to identify a misfit within 90 days. If you need specific pointers or want to take a deeper dive, reach out
Rise of Us is a practice run by Summer Poletti, specializing in revenue growth: sales, strategic partnerships, customer success, marketing alignment. We generally work with financial services and SaaS companies from $5MM - $20MM ARR and help them plan and execute for their next stage of revenue growth. We concentrate on strategy, coaching, and organizational alignment.
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