The Next Generation Salesperson: Hiring, Training and Retaining
When I graduated from the university in 1973, finding my first job in the electrical industry was not that difficult. I was interviewed by a regional manager and offered a position within a week. After spending three months in the main office as a trainee, I was sent out to my first territory with a company car, samples, catalogues in the trunk, a map of my territory, and a list of key distributors and end users.
During the first few weeks, I learned I also needed a pen and pad of paper, and a pocket full of change so I could make calls at the closest public telephone.
Today we have a whole new world to deal with in hiring, training and retaining a new salesperson in our industry.
Hiring polices practice may vary from company to company, but a few things below are typical for basic requirements:
•educational requirements (university or industry experience)
•computer skills
•salesmanship
•relocation considerations
•knowledge of the industry and market segments
Most of these requirements have remained unchanged, but survey results rate “computer skills” the number one requirement. This was not a requirement in years past.
In some cases, training for the company’s services/product offerings and in-house operating systems has lengthened to 4 to 8 months depending on the company’s product offerings. Within the high-tech corridor, training periods may go to over one year.
A major change taking place is that new salespeople are also evaluating the company in which they are interviewing for a position. In some cases, they will have completed internet research on your company, conducted a financial review, and secured information concerning your reputation in the industry.
In addition, next generation salespeople are already participating in the instantaneous data/information world. They have superior knowledge of smart phones, laptops, operating systems (Microsoft/Apple) and Twitter. Therefore, one of the major areas they are looking for is how your company utilizes the data/information stream. Survey results from managers at distributors and manufacturers indicated this was a common question asked by interviewees.
The new salesperson is also a looking for company that provides data/information as quickly as possible. This is confirmed when talking to salespeople already in place that stated fragmented or partial information is not good enough in today’s environment. It should also be pointed out that redundant reporting is also a major concern. This is logical because the salesperson’s number one goal is to generate new orders and retain a high customer satisfaction rating from your end user.
Retaining a salesperson
Listed below are key elements the survey reflected from both distributors and manufacturers management teams:
•Keep your operating systems as current as possible.
•Avoid redundant reporting.
•The use of smartphones, tablets/iPads is recommended
•Shared responsibility on pricing/profits ensures continues growth of the salesperson.
•Make sure you create an open door informational communication in your team meetings.
•The management team must become good listeners even if the first pass seems to be off the wall concept.
•Empower new salespeople with responsibility so they can grow into the best they can be.
As you can see, the old saying “salesmen are dime a dozen” does not apply today. Responsibility for hiring, training and retaining this new salesperson in our industry falls directly on the existing management team. This really has not changed in the last 50 years, but the technology to provide information/data has changed. Therefore, keep this in mind when trying to retain your #1 sales team for today and in the future.
Paul Eitmant is President and CEO of IP Group International, which serves the needs of business-to-business enterprises in over 30 countries worldwide by adding specialized expertise to the business planning and implementation process; Tel: 480.488.5646; paulipgroup@cox.net
