Recruitment of Sales Professionals in the USA

The recruitment of successful sales professionals is critical to all business organizations and is even more complex when the US based employee will work for a non-US company. Many non-companies have recruited American sales representatives and sales managers who did not meet their expectations, resulting in losses of income and at times even damaging their reputation in the market.

Amcon has extensive experience successfully managing the recruitment process to identify, recruit and train US sales processionals for non-US companies, who have experience, relationships and professional networks in the specific industry of the offshore organization.
Are you a non-US based manager recruiting a US sales manager or representative? The following are a few insights we can provide from our many years of experience:

1. Clearly and precisely defining the position and expectations – in-writing – is critical to success. When possible, provide information such as expected sales volume, number of new customers or number of projects you expect the sales pro to initiate. Internally, consider how you define success.
2. Some non-US managers fail to differentiate between a “sales” manager and a “marketing” manager. In the US, they are distinct functions.  If you are seeking a sales person, then recruit someone who does sales not marketing.
3. Previous performance is the best indicator for future performance. Successful sales people are generally successful wherever they go. Ask for proof of success when interviewing the candidate as well as their references.
4. Read resumes (CV’s) very carefully. In the US, many people hire professional resume (CV) writers, who create a highly professional and impressive “sales document”. In many cases, there is an inverse relationship between the quality of the resume and the quality of the candidate – thus we suggest you “read between the lines”.   When interviewing, always ask for examples of success and probe for as much detail as possible.  When they finish, ask for another example and then another.  This may give you an idea of their level of success.
5. Prepare a detailed questionnaire prior to conducting interviews that cover business, technical and personality issues. Always use a list of questions when interviewing but feel free to improvise as needed.
6. Always ask for numerous references, although in many cases, company policies do not allow references to provide many details. Our experience has shown that former bosses – ideally when they have already left the company where they managed the candidate – are the best references.  When calling references, we suggest using a questionnaire and also asking some questions with a numerical rating. For example:  “On a scale of 1-5 where 1 is very strong and 5 is very weak, how would you rate the candidate’s ability to negotiate with key customers?”
7. Always try and evaluate the level of interest and passion the candidate has for the job you are offering.  Experience is always important but passion is what often pushes sales professionals to achieve high levels of success.