The job of hiring new sales people usually falls to the Sales Manager; after all, they’re going to end up in your team, so you need to make sure you’ve got the best people. But it can be risky and tough to get right. If you’ve had trouble making the right decisions in the past and ended up with a team you’re not entirely confident about, it might have something to do with your approach.

With this in mind, here are just a few points to consider to when making a new sales hire:

Be prepared
Put the Scouts’ motto into practice and be prepared from the moment you begin the recruitment process. Compile a list of comprehensive questions which you want to ask interviewees and make sure that you are equipped to answer any queries which they may put to you about the role or your company. You should also be prepared to screen applicants thoroughly – never rush to fill a position before you’ve found a truly suitable candidate.

Be specific
Put together a detailed job specification highlighting exactly what is involved in each sales role that you are hiring for and what you will expect from the successful candidate. This can help to ensure that you attract those who have the necessary skills to meet key sales targets. Doing so can also prove useful when it comes to conducting performance reviews further down the line.

Be impartial
If a candidate impresses you at interview, you may find that you are tempted to hire them without further assessment. However, whilst the ability to make a positive first impression is important, personality alone is rarely enough to drive sales. Using assessment tests to evaluate key skills and core values can offer an impartial insight into whether or not a candidate is good fit for the role.

Be committed
Even when you’ve found the perfect salesperson, you are unlikely to get the best results without providing a certain amount of introductory training and support. Make sure you have a development plan in place to encourage your new hires to expand upon their existing skillset. In addition, it can be advisable to identify the ways in which your latest recruit can play to their strengths within the team as a whole.

Hiring the perfect salesperson is not always an easy task, but it is something which it is worth ensuring you get right first time. Failure to hire a successful salesperson can prove costly for a company, as well as detrimental to the rest of your team, so taking the time to find an ideal candidate is certainly worth the extra effort.

Hays Sales UK are experts in all areas of sales recruitment. To find out more about how our highly skilled consultants can support you, please visit our website.

The packaging sector can offer plenty of opportunity to develop and grow as a salesperson. However, those working within this field are likely to be faced with a number of unique challenges as their career progresses and they develop their packaging sales skills.

For those considering a career within packaging sales, here are just a few of the challenges which you can expect to encounter:

• Tailored productsWithin the packaging industry, products are often tailored to meet the exact demands and requirements of the client – more so than within many other sectors. This presents a number of challenges to salespeople working within this field. Not only will you need to have a detailed understanding of the packaging solutions that your company offers but, in order to be successful in making sales, you will want to develop a thorough knowledge of what is required by the businesses that you are hoping to sell to. 

• Trend awareness Perhaps the trend which has had the greatest impact on the packaging industry over recent years is that of eco-awareness and environmentally-friendly packaging. As a salesperson within this sector, you will need to keep up-to-date with the latest ‘green’ developments and ensure that you are confident in talking about the benefits which your product or service may hold for potential clients. 

• Entrepreneurial attitudeThe packaging industry is one which is continuing to evolve, with packing solutions having advanced significantly over recent years. As such, those working within packaging sales need to demonstrate an entrepreneurial approach to their product and services. You will need to be willing to embrace innovation and prepared to regularly refresh your knowledge and understanding of the industry. Doing so can be key in achieving success as a salesperson within this sector. 

1. Communicate 
A Sales Manager needs to communicate with every area of the business. You might need to meet with Directors or department heads regularly so you know what impact sales will have on the entire business. It is particularly important to communicate with the Marketing team, you can advise them what your team is focusing on and what you need them to focus on, a joined-up strategy with work best for the business. Keep your sales team in the loop as much as you can, the more you can tell them, the more they will trust you and the more they can do. 

Momentum in the retail industry has continued to rise since last year, but the British weather continues to dampen sales. Can a new approach offer retail a way forward?

The Office for National Statistics has released a report showing that March 2013 was the second coldest on record. Feedback from department stores, clothing stores and household goods stores highlighted the notion that the cold snap had a negative effect on sales in the non-food sector.

However, Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, the financial data provider, has said that the economy had regained some of its momentum in 2013, adding “The upward trend in sales has followed a steady improvement in consumer confidence since late last year.”

The latest trend in retail sales is to offer customers a service across different retail channels such as shops, the internet and mobile apps. A move towards internet and mobile retails channels would certainly avoid the weather issue.

This “Multichannel” retailing is beginning to appear at the core of many sales strategies, offering customers a more rounded experience. But with multichannel retailing dictated more by the customer, than processes, how much can Sales Managers effectively forecast and plan?

Do manage retail sales? What are your biggest challenges?

Hays Sales UK are experts in all areas of sales recruitment. To find out more about how our highly skilled consultants can support you, please visit our website.