In Jim Collins book “Good to Great” he finds that the best companies have the right people in the right seats. Hiring is one of the most important activities that a sales manager conducts. If they make the right decision they will improve the performance of the territory and elevate the performance of the entire team.
Concerns associated with lost sales in a vacant territory puts a lot of pressure on the sales manager to quickly fill the vacancy. What do you do in this situation?
Tip #30: Avoid the Plug and Play
OK, you have two candidates that you really like. One knows the products, customers, and the industry. The other candidate is passionate, driven and eager to prove themselves. The easy answer for a busy manager is to hire the sales rep that comes with all the experience. But have you thought through what else they bring to the table? They bring the infamous industry baggage.
The experienced rep may be easier for the first 6 months, whereas the driven rep will have a slower start, but in 6 months will likely achieve better sales. Hire attitude over aptitude!
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