As any sales manager will tell you, building an effective Salesforce is challenging. Experienced salespeople are often the first choice for organizations looking to build sales results fast. After all, you can review the employment history of the seasoned sales individual. Metrics such as income, longevity at a job, how well they reached or exceeded quota and the types of sales tools they used can sometimes determine potential. As the saying goes however, past performance are no guarantee of future results.
Experienced salespeople with a successful record of accomplishment may or may not be a fit with your current Salesforce. Considerations should include how individuals align with your particular:
- Corporate Culture
- Processes
- Sales Methods
- Systems
- Follow-up
- CRM
- Closing Ratios
- Data use
- Analytics use
- Social Media
It may be virtually impossible to match experienced salespeople with how you manage your particular Salesforce. Seasoned salespeople can often be less adaptive to new ways. Some organizations simply hire inexperienced sales representatives and train them to sell their way. These salespeople will not carry over “bad habits” from previous positions. Negatives can include longer initial training cycles as well as getting the new salesperson up to speed.
Hiring inexperienced sales folks is not necessarily the recommended option. It is just an alternative and can be part of a hybrid Salesforce model where you combine seasoned sales with new. What is right for your organization?
