Hiring The Modern Sales Rep for B2B Organizations

Congratulations! Your company is growing and now you want to hire your first Sales Rep.

I would like to share with you a process that we are applying at Flawless inbound and also for our clients. But before I go in to more detail, let’s agree on one thing:

"The Sales Department is the heart of any B2B organization, whether you are in technology, medical, industrial, or other professional services."

If you're a CEO planning to hire your first VP of Sales, or you're a VP of Sales planning to hire your first Inside Sales Manager, Business Development Manager, or Sales Rep — whatever you call this role — the key point that you need to ask yourself is: do you truly have a sales process and a framework, and does it also reflect on how you are going to choose your next hire?

First let me explain the concept of the Modern Sales Rep, especially for a B2B organization.

 Here is what you should expect from a Modern Sales Rep

  1. Leverages technology to their advantage, and understands who to start a conversation with, when, and why.
  2. Understands how to hold a business conversation focused on clear goals and challenges, because they actually understand who their ideal buyer is before a conversation even starts.
  3. Displays deep industry knowledge, because they are truly passionate about the solutions their company brings to buyers in its segment.
  4. Demonstrates comfort discussing a variety of alternative solutions with the buyer, which often include doing nothing or even using a competitor’s product or service.
  5. Tailors every conversation to the buyer’s specific situation, with a timeline.
  6. Openly disagrees when they think a buyer’s proposed solution to a goal or a challenge is wrong, or that their judgement is blurred by fear, uncertainty or doubt.
  7. And above all else, the Inbound Seller prioritizes a buyer’s needs ahead of their own sales goals.

So how to evaluate a new candidate for a Sales Rep position — especially if you are a B2B organization with a longer sales cycle, high-priced product or service, and aggressive revenue targets like a VAR, MSP, SaaS or technology startup, or in the medical industry?

Ask yourself these questions:

  1. Does this Sales Rep have the desire to be successful in sales no matter what? What proof do I have?
  2. Does this person have a positive outlook on the product or services he or she sells or would be selling? Why?
  3. Does this person have a positive outlook on themselves? What evidence do we have to believe they have that positive outlook?
  4. Do I believe that this person will take responsibility for all sales outcomes, no matter what, or will they make excuses? Why do I believe my answer to that question?

 

Here's what you also need to look for in that person

These will be exactly my questions for my next Flawless Inbound Sales Rep:

  1. Do I believe you have a high level of Emotional Intelligence and self-awareness? Can you put yourself in someone else's position and empathize with the challenges they are expressing?

  2. Do you have the “grinder/hustler” instinct and a high level of work ethic?

  3. Are you a lifetime achiever? Were you the kid that had the lemonade stand, the newspaper route?

  4. Are you a strong problem solver who can marshal a variety of internal resources to get the outcomes you need?

  5. Are you coachable and to what extent? Show me proof.

  6. Do you take responsibility for outcomes in life, or do you make excuses?

  7. Do you possess the ability to educate and teach? Will you push back on a prospect when they reject you or challenge you?

  8. To what extent are you goal-oriented? Have you set personal goals for yourself?

  9. Do you enjoy learning? If yes, why is that, and can you show me concrete supporting examples?

I hope this blog would be of help to any CEO/VP of Sales planning to grow their sales teams and build a sales process around them.

At Flawless Inbound, we have worked with over 60 B2B organizations to help them not only with their Inbound Marketing framework and implementation, but also building a modern Inbound Sales process to match — and very soon, we will be helping them to building their services process as well. Stay tuned for more updates from our team.