If you were relying on social media and japan phone number LinkedIn to attract leads, and the candidate is used to working with existing contacts and has not been looking for clients on social media, you will not get the expected results. You will have to spend time and resources on training him. Despite his experience and reputation, he is unlikely to be able to significantly help your company.
Experienced sellers
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There are other challenges associated with hiring experienced B2B sales managers. Due to the lack of universities and specialized schools that teach the art of sales, even seasoned employees may have mediocre skills.
Often, poorly learned patterns and habits become so deeply ingrained in the salesperson's mind that they resist learning new methods and especially retraining. "We've always done it this way, and everything was fine!"
Therefore, if you decide to attract experienced B2B sales managers, first of all pay attention to their flexibility, intelligence and readiness to learn. After all, there is no guarantee that a person who was successful and even the best salesperson at their previous place of work will be able to achieve the same results in your company.
How do you know if you have a really good candidate in front of you? Ask a potential B2B sales manager to sell you any product or service. For example, let him try something he sold in his previous job.
What to look for in a B2B sales manager candidate:
The ability to establish contact with the client, identify needs and the art of asking open-ended questions.
Ability to handle objections. A B2B sales manager must have the skills to work with them and manage the dialogue.
Flexibility in communication with a potential client.
The most important criterion for evaluation after this demonstration is your personal impressions. Put yourself in the client's shoes: if you yourself would buy from this person what he offers, feel free to invite him for a trial period.
Newbies in Sales
If you decide to attract new employees and train them yourself, it is important to develop from scratch or adapt an existing training system so that it meets the specifics of your company.
In this process, it is worth paying attention to the desire and readiness to learn, a positive attitude, courage, and the ability to cope with stress. The work of finding a B2B sales manager can be carried out either by the head of the department or HR specialists.
Newbies in Sales
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If you are about to form your first sales department, it is recommended that you not only review all candidate responses, but also actively search for new employees. This will help you better understand current market conditions, assess the competitiveness of your offer, and identify what exactly applicants are looking for.
Don't limit yourself to hiring one manager: have at least two people on your staff so that they can cover for each other during vacations, illnesses, or layoffs. Competition within the department will also have a positive effect on results.
The problem with recruiting is its unpredictability: it is impossible to know in advance whether a candidate with extensive sales experience will be better than an inexperienced but motivated young specialist.