So what makes a good sales person?
Hello and welcome to the first instalment of the Small Business Big Voice blog. The aim of the site is to give comment about small business and in in this first post about sales in particular.

I welcome your feedback and questions and if I can either give you cause for thought or answer a question or even offer a little advice then great!

I have spent the last 20 years working as either a recruitment consultant in the sales arena or as an interim manager/consultant managing sales teams. I don’t claim to be an expert on all things sales but would like to think that I know a thing or two; the main thing is getting the best out of people.

Over the time that I have been in management I have of course lost a few people along the way but overall the vast majority of people that have come across my experience have gone on to do well with me or to succeed in another organisation.

As a seasoned recruiter, people I know often say “I’m looking for a sales person, what I should look for?” “So what makes a good sales person?” That’s the fun bit for me, both as a sales recruiter and manager because the honest answer is, there isn’t one. I have seen graduates and people with zero academic achievement succeed and fail. I have seen people with track records in other professions attempt a career in sales fall at the first set of targets and objectives, whilst others who have struggled to keep a job absolutely fly.

There are a few ingredients to look out for, Enthusiasm being one, commitment being another and work ethic being a third (who you can ever determine that at an interview or selection I will never know). Personal presentation, reliability (turning up on time or completing a requested task) is other good indication that the candidate is a genuine prospect.
It is however the relationship that the sales person has with their manager that is the most important thing.
When recruiting for a sales team the first question a CEO or hiring manager should ask is can my managers manage, can they motivate, can they train, and can they lead their new sales person to be successful. It is my genuine belief that a candidate with just an average level of ability coupled with some real commitment can do well in a sales career but it is the management of that candidate that will make them a success or failure.