When To Hire A Salesperson

One of the questions I am asked is, when should I hire a salesperson and what should I look for? I have always felt that hiring a salesperson should be like any business decision. The business should consider the investment as a capital expense that will deliver profitable, measurable results. A budget should be allocated for the expense and a return on the investment should be calculated. Unfortunately, many businesses rush into hiring a salesperson and bypass the rational process.

Businesses often rush into a quick decision because they feel comfortable or safe. After all, it is a safe bet that the salesperson will sell something. This rational is unfortunate but it does explain why businesses bypass the traditional capital investment rational and hire someone without exploring options.

Consider Your Options

Every business has options to consider before hiring a salesperson. Unfortunately, most businesses overlook these options and invest in a salesperson as the complete solution. Here are a few questions to consider.

• Is it better to grow your business with NEW customers?
• How do customers and prospects prefer to buy from you?
• Can you develop more business from your existing customers?
• Are you maximizing alternative methods of reaching customers?
• Do you have a system for getting referrals to generate new business?
• Would a sales assistant increase response, follow-up and sales support?
• Can you automate your selling program to increase your current sales efforts?

Determining how you want to grow your business and how your customers prefer to purchase is critical information in the overall planning of any sales and marketing program. Clearly, all the business growth options should be considered. The business decision makers should take a step back and look at their business with fresh eyes and evaluate where the business growth is coming from. Industry buying trends must also be added to the equation. Specifically, how are customers placing orders. If the business is growing through orders on the Internet, using the Internet should be a growth option.

Invest In The Results Of A Salesperson

It is easier to make a hiring decision when we take the human element out of the picture. Don't think of a salesperson as a human. Think of the salesperson as a capital investment that will deliver new business. When you do this, you will automatically look at your options more clearly. Treat the decision as you would with any production piece of equipment. If you were buying a copier, you would match the right features, speed and capabilities against your key objectives.

Test the investment against other options. For example, we offer an automated sales assistant that follows the best practices of selling. The Selling Magic system automates the selling process but doesn't necessarily require a salesperson to execute the activities. This option would allow a business to benefit from a virtual salesperson without the expensive investment and with a guaranteed return on investment.