Develop a Profile of the Salespeople You Need -- Part 2 of 3

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Identify the Buying Process Criteria br> [Define what you are looking for in a sales candidate. Develop a profile of your ideal salesperson. When I ask CEOs to define their ideal client, they go on and on with their descriptions. When I switch gears and ask them to describe their ideal salesperson, I hear crickets chirping.

Keep in mind the following profile considerations:]

Buying Process Attributes

Prospecting requirements. You're all familiar with the terms "hunter" and "farmer." Based on your lead generation requirements, you want to find candidates who have experience in that particular environment.

Buying cycle length. I've worked in companies where this cycle is six to 18 months. I knew that high-powered salespeople who needed the "thrill of victory" much more frequently wouldn't succeed in that kind of environment.

Solution creativity. This has to do with whether or not you have very straightforward sales. Consider the difference between selling units in a product environment on one hand and selling projects in an application development environment on the other.

Decision level. Where is the decision made for your sales? If it's the CFO suite, wouldn't it be helpful to have a salesperson with experience selling at that level -- someone who already knows the vernacular, understands the challenges and knows how to effectively communicate with these people?

Sales support. This is different in every company. Some companies expect their salespeople to become product experts and handle the entire sales process themselves. There are other companies who look to their salesperson to simply open the door, after which others -- subject matter experts, perhaps sales managers, participate in the process and help to bring the sale to fruition. The level of sales support in your company is a basis on which to consider the type of experience each prospective salesperson has.