In competitive markets, a good sales team will help their company rise above the competition. Your sales representatives must work constantly to meet their goals. You want to have team members that will rise to the challenge. The skills of your sales reps are just as important as the product itself. If you are looking to hire a salesperson, look out for these traits in your next interview:

Optimism

Only the best salespeople stay positive, even when things get tough. There are going to be times when your sales reps do not close a deal. After all, no one is perfect. What is important to know is how they will deal with that failure. Do they learn from their mistakes and persevere? Do they take everything personally and begin to lose their drive? That second option causes burnout, which means a constant turnover of salespeople to hire and train. During interviews, ask your candidates how they overcame a problem in the workplace. 

Curiosity

Salespeople who show interest in learning new things often have more success. Your sales reps should be asking your customers questions to get to know them a little better. Not only does this help your sales team learn more about their clients, but the customers will see that your employees are interested in meeting their needs. This type of communication establishes a positive relationship between your customers and your sales reps. When talking with potential hires, ask them about how they get to know more about the customer.

Agility

Your sales reps need to think on their feet to solve problems that suddenly arise. While they may have a specific set of questions to ask every client, they can also switch things up based on how the conversation is going. Not every sale is going to be the same, so your sales team needs to improvise. For example, if a client is not interested in a product, the salesperson can think of a different solution to meet the customer’s needs. Ask your interviewees how they secured a sale with some quick thinking. 

Helpfulness

Your sales team needs to be relatable to the customer and help them with their needs. If a client is unhappy with a product and the sales team blows them off, they are going to feel ripped off. Promote customer service with your employees. When hiring new sales reps, ask them what they did when a customer was upset.

Realism

A good sales rep needs to have goals in mind and a plan to meet those goals. Talk with your team to see what goals they have, aside from meeting the company quota. Do these goals seem realistic? Are they actively working towards these goals? If so, it shows that they are giving their all when they come into work. Ask potential hires about any goals they currently have or any ones they met in the past. 

In Conclusion

These traits will not only help you see how strong your current sales team is, but it will help you find the right candidates to add to your company. You want driven, goal-oriented salespeople to talk with customers and make sales. Keep these traits in mind during your next interview to find the best fit for your team. 

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