A Hiring Manager’s 11 Tips on Landing Your Perfect Sales Job

"A Hiring Manager’s 11 tips on landing your perfect Sales Job" – Peter Lawless of 3R Sales & Marketing

What is it that companies are looking for when they go to the market to hire a sales rep? How can you be sure to land that perfect job? What is the definition of your perfect job? This article will answer those questions and give you 11 tips to help you land that perfect role enabling you fulfill your ambitions.

What are most hiring managers looking for?

All companies are set up with one key goal in mind - to make money. Owners and investors put money into a company based on a business idea and plan. No matter how good the product, without sales you fail. Focused and successful selling is what maximizes investors return on product investment. Thus they are looking for a sales person who can maximise their return on investment. They want someone who will hit the ground running, and start making them money.

When they interview a potential hire, they want to know that this person is right for them. They will base this on a number of factors.

Their track record – have they proven them selves in the past?

Their personality – will this person fit in well with their company, the team and their customers?

Their knowledge – this is a strange one, since only in a very few cases should product knowledge be important. What is really important is their knowledge of the industry they will be selling into. Knowing why the customers make buying decisions, and what their key issues are.

Their rolodex – who do they know, that they can easily speak to about in relation to their new company. Good sales people are trusted by their customers and are often perceived as trusted advisors. This is an invaluable resource to bring to a new role.

Their cost – does it make financial sense to hire this person, based on how much business they can bring in Vs how much they will cost in terms of base, commission and benefits.

How to land that perfect job.

Follow the tips below to ensure the job you are applying for fits with your experience and what you want. You need to convince yourself that there is a perfect match between what you can offer and what the company is offering.

If you are a good sales person, you will realize that the key to selling is to convince the buyer of the value of your product. Landing the perfect role is no different. The product that you are selling in this case is yourself!

So rather than selling yourself, you need to follow the buyer’s process. You can of course influence the buyer’s process, by uncovering needs and desires that they may not have realized they have, which best fit your abilities.

What is the definition of the perfect Sales job?

As in all transactions the buyer and seller must be in a win-win situation. You must over exceed their expectations, by overachieving your quota, and they must pay you tons of dosh. You also need respect. You want to wake up on a Monday morning, looking forward to the challenges of the week ahead. You also need to be secure in knowing that your employer will motivate you, by rewarding you when you do well and encouraging you when things are not going so well.

It is important that the company has established a good sales process and that there is a good manager on hand, who has sales experience to coach and mentor you, so that you feel you always have the support you need. It is also important to understand the existing customer base. How do they receive the product or service, how well is it delivered and supported?

Remember, at interview you are looking to ensure your needs are going to be met, just as the hiring manager wants to ensure that you are the correct person for the job.

The 11 tips to land the perfect Sales job

Here is a summary of the tips. They are all self explanatory. One of them is so important I used it twice!

Never Tell a lie

Write out what you are truly excellent at.

Explain how people benefit from those skills

Write out the Job description of your dream job

Only apply for the Jobs you want

Write a winning CV including

Charts of your performance Vs Quota

Specific skills you have

Significant Achievements

Don’t leave any gaps

Research the company you are applying for

Try not to move Jobs too often

Ensure the targets proposed are fair – ask to meet existing reps

Use your best customers as Referees – ones that can prove you sell well.

Never Tell a lie

Folow the advice above, and you are sure to land a job that will make you feel good every week. It will help you reach your life goals and live a truly enjoyable life.

This article was written by Peter Lawless. With over 20 years experience in industry and a variety of senior sales management roles in IBM and 2 high potential start-up companies, both locally and abroad, sales success is no stranger to Peter. He is the founder of 3R Sales & Marketing which helps SME business owners increase sales. He also runs a specialist sales hiring advisory company hireaSalesRep.com, which acts as an intermediary between Business Owners and Recruitment agencies, to ensure companies always hire the right person for the job.