So the question is. What is important to you as a sales rep? What is a deal breaker? How do you like to be paid? What about benefits? 1099 or W2?
Hello Grumpy
I have been in sales and sales management for over 25 years and have been exposed to several compensation plans. Positions held were door to door cable television, door to door lawn services (sold grass), door to door cutlery to single working girls (Cutco),
Sears Siding (AMRE), Doors and Windows, Remodeling and Roofing.
The best pay plan I preferred was a draw against commission with 50/50 split over par. Benefits included workmen's comp, general liability and a health plan. Position would be W-2. The position preferred is 100% commission, no salary, only a small draw to cover basics. Mileage allowance, phone, laptop.
When starting a new job with long lead time like design/build sales I preferred a 3 month draw sufficient to pay for the basics. For roofing, siding window and doors one month draw was sufficient provided I could be paid for sales made within a few weeks of turning in a clean deal.
Also it was important to know that I worked for a professional company that did great work and serviced their clientèle. I wanted to know that if I did a great job selling the deal that the men in the field would back up what I sold. I would also expect that I would not be penalized for losses associated with production errors or oversights, however if I screwed up, it would come out of my commission. I would want to know that any leads or referrals from the customer I sold would go to me and not some other salesperson, or to the house.
When I was the sales manager I looked for a specific type of individual, either male or female. I would not hire anyone who wanted a salary because that meant they were not hungry enough or confident in their abilities to produce. I looked for the basics from sales 101.
Here are the some items to consider when hiring salespeople.
1. Salesperson will work on commission, with a draw against future commissions.
2. Salesperson will generate some of their own leads to insure that they are in front of enough people to reach the mutual volume goal. They will network, canvass, generate referrals, follow up on referrals quickly.
3. The salesperson has a good bedside manner.
4. The salesperson is coachable.
5. The salesperson is in good shape and looks professional.
6. The salesperson is a team player.
7. The salesperson will agree to a profile assessment to determine their basic and adapted behavioral styles.
8. The salesperson will have a personal growth program. They will read books, listen to tapes and attend recommended training for sales, product knowledge and personal growth.
9. They want to make a lot of money and can prove it based on previous jobs. If a guy is not money driven he won't do what is necessary to earn business.
10. They are willing to work trade shows, work some evenings and some weekends.
11. They have a yearning to learn and educate themselves.
12. They have a great attitude and enthusiasm.
13. They use goals to keep focused.
14. They can handle rejection and don't have a high need for approval.
I recommend that you consider using behavioral profiles before you hire someone. The cost of hiring the wrong salesperson is too great to find out you have the wrong person two to three months down the road. Just think of the costs associated with hiring the wrong person; training time, draw or base salary you won't get back, blown leads at a cost of $$$/lead, and other related expenses like mileage allowance, phone, business cards and so on. I made the mistake of hiring a few people on gut feel because they talked a good game and they appealed to me. To my dismay they couldn't sell squat and it cost us.
Good luck in efforts attracting the right person.
mark the coach
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