1) Demonstrated success in previous roles with a similar sales cycle.
* Short sales cycles are generally transactional and low value - churn and burn
* Long sales cycles (+12 months) require patience, strategic thinking and professional persistence. Transactional reps struggle in this role.
2) Industry experience is a plus, but don't overlook the opportunity to bring in someone from an adjacent industry that can up skill the entire team with a modified sales approach.
* Hiring someone for their contact list can be a huge disappointment.
* Ask questions around how they built those relationships, focus on the process and if they can do the same for your business.
* Hire someone that is hungry and sees the vast opportunity in front of them rather than how many people they already know. What happens when they exhaust their list of contacts?
3) Hunters vs Farmers
* Hunters love to slay dragons and find those new logos. They are less interested in managing established relationships. This isn't a challenge or rewarding for them. Pay for performance, they thrive on those big commission checks!
* Farmers typically don't want to cold call or carry the burden of a quota. They are really good at building rapport, maintaining current clients and expanding your installed base. Their compensation should be tied to maintaining a book of business.
** It is common for business owners to hire farmers and wonder why they aren't hunting for new business. Farmers don't want to hunt and hunters don't want to farm. Pick your poison...
4) Finding the "X" factor
* Some of the best hire's I've made throughout my career have been ambitious individuals with clearly defined goals (personal, professional and financial). If you ask them where they want to be 12-36 months from now and they don't have an answer, I'd proceed with caution. If they can spell out in great detail how much money they want/need to make to accomplish "X" in the next 2-3 years the better!
* A Players don't stick around long if their compensation doesn't align with the promises you make during the interview process.
We help healthcare companies build and tactically execute their expansion strategy.
Charlotte, NC 28278
+1 (704) 713-4946
Scott@IPIVX.com