7 Must-Haves Before You Hire A Salesperson

By The Business Solutions Network

I was glancing over my notes from IT Nation and came across some gems concerning hiring a salesperson. During his presentation entitled "How to Hire, Fire, Compensate & Ensure Success of a Sales Professional," Alex Rogers, CEO of CharTec, shared his 7 must-haves before you hire a salesperson. I couldn't find these anywhere online so I thought I'd share them here.

I've talked with a lot of VARs and MSPs who are growing and feel like the time is right to bring on another salesperson, but are hesitant for any number of reasons. This list is a great starting point if you think a new hire might be in your future. 

1. A training program designed to educate the new salesperson and set them up for success rather than failure.
2. Product offering -- A clear definition of the options available for sale. You don't want a maverick selling things you don't offer or someone not aware of all the things you offer.
3. A sales process. If your sales process is something that resides in your head, get it out on paper. You can't expect a salesperson to follow your methods if your process is floating around in your mind.
4. Presentation -- Have a standard presentation template or way you want things defined, explained, and presented? I hope so. Get this standardized for your salesperson.
5. Proposal -- Similar to a presentation, establish how you want proposals to look and be delivered.
6. Agreement -- You want clear and iron-clad wording on your contracts. Make sure your new salesperson has access to this information.
7. Money in the bank. According to Rogers, you want to have six months of salary in the bank so you don't have to rely on the new salesperson covering their salary right away.

Missing any one of these? Don't hire until you have them all covered.