The Secret Weapon of Top Salespeople (and How to Find Them)

Ever wondered what sets superstar salespeople apart? They are the lifeblood of any company, growing your business and taking market share. But a bad salesperson can miss opportunities through lack of sales skills, waste time with prospects that will not buy, and cost your company huge amounts of money in lost revenue. We've all seen both ends of the spectrum.

There’s no question that salespeople can experience a rollercoaster of emotions throughout their working week. One minute they're celebrating a big win, the next they're facing rejection. They're constantly under pressure to hit targets. But why do some excel while others struggle?

It's All in the Mind

In sales, individuals often find themselves repeating familiar actions but achieving varied outcomes each time. Why does this happen? It may be that the crucial factor isn't merely the volume of activity but rather the mindset driving it. Take a closer look and you might notice that how people go about their daily lives often reflects in their sales approach. It’s no coincidence! What's happening around us often mirrors what's going on inside us – it just makes sense.

Here are some examples:

• Money Matters: A salesperson's relationship with money can influence their sales style. Do they negotiate fiercely or avoid money conversations wherever possible?
• Buy Cycle: What about the way they like to shop? Do they go for the bargain, shop around until they get the best price, or buy the first one they see? Will they expect their prospects to do the same?
• Need for Approval: Do they need to be liked by all their prospects and clients? Does this have an impact on their ability to close a sale effectively? 
• Emotional Resilience: The ability to bounce back from setbacks is crucial. Can they handle rejection and keep going?

So, How Do You Recruit Top Salespeople?

Traditional recruiting focuses on resumes and interview charm. But these don't guarantee success. Industry experience will certainly help to reduce the ramp up time of a new salesperson, but what else is important?

Here's what's generally missed:

Sales DNA:

Understanding the complexities of the sales cycle, your product or service, and your ideal candidate profile. For example, do you want a hunter, closer or account manager and what do these terms actually mean?

Uncovering Weaknesses:

How can you assess a salesperson's true potential and sales capability in a short interview? Where first impressions are all about wowing you, where salespeople have the charm to make their words sound like the gospel truth, how do you pick the right candidate?

1. Perhaps you'll look at the culture fit. But, is your current culture really about high-performance sales?
2. Maybe you'll base it on whether the applicant seems to be on the same wavelength. Remember they should be experts at developing rapport.
3. Or will you heavily weigh the evidence from reference checks? These are always a good indication IF you know the right questions to ask.

Tap into Mindset with Sales Profiling

Traditional methods like reference checks and gut feelings can be unreliable and recruitment agencies often follow a formulaic approach. So, how do you find the perfect salesperson?

Getting into the mindset of a salesperson, understanding their strengths as a salesperson and most importantly their weaknesses will give you a true insight into what you can expect from them for your sales role. This takes the guess work out of filling a vital role in your organisation.

At Neural Networks, we go beyond the surface. We assess candidates based on their values and beliefs, which drive their everyday decisions. Our unique recruitment tool takes your sales position criteria and assesses each candidate in terms of their corresponding sales strengths and weaknesses.

Ready to Recruit Sales Superstars?

Stop guessing! Contact Neural Networks today and discover how our tools can transform your recruitment process. Call us on (03) 9555 7955.