To be great at sales you must be good at interacting with people. Selling, no matter what the product or service, is primarily a social business. To convince someone to spend money is never easy, as people typically like to only spend money when they think it is their idea. This is precisely why a sales recruiter should be careful when choosing new hires.

Is Sales a Good Career?

Going into a sales position seems to be popular in the U.S., judging by the roughly 22 million sales professionals. But they are not all rockstars at their job. About 22% are nearly untrainable, another 40% are likely to miss their quota, and only 10% will show a good return on investment (ROI), as indicated by their numbers. Those are stark numbers for prospective hires. That is why it is essential that sales recruiters screen job applicants carefully. A good sales recruiter knows what makes a great sales associate, such as the knowing how to effectively research a customer’s needs and appeal to them.

What Makes a Career in Sales Successful.

We know a good sales person will research their customer’s needs, is adept at social interactions, and likely knows a warm smile and a firm handshake can go far when making a first impression. But they must also be patient and have perseverance in spades. As many as 44% of sales associates accept “no” as the final answer on a sales call. This is a bad idea. While no one wants to pester, it is important for the customer to know that the sales representative is still there to answer any questions, as customers can be notoriously slow when making a decision. It takes 63% about a three months to agree to make a purchase from the company, and 20% about a year.

For those who want to make their sales recruiter proud, a strategic plan sets them apart. This tactic works for some sales representatives. For the 60% that do go on a sales call with a plan, an average 33% are able to close the sale. It may be that they are better prepared to offer a rebuttal to protests.

Recruiting agencies have experience with hundreds of prospective sales representatives. A great sales recruitment agency will take an applicant with good potential, and give them the tools to make them a successful seller. Confidence matters, but so does patience, a persevering attitude, and warmth.