The Most Important Skill of Remarkable Sales Managers

Not every great sales rep is cut out to be a great sales manager. Just because you’re able to effectively close doesn’t mean you can effectively lead, and the fact is the qualities that spell success in each role are different.
So what sets truly great sales managers apart? While there are several important qualities they have to possess to be successful, Scott Crawford, VP Sales & Business Development at Pantheon, suggests there is one skill in particular that trumps them all — hiring effectively. The reason is simple: For sales managers responsible for fueling their company’s growth, no aspect of their job is more important than building and maintaining a healthy pipeline of top-tier sales talent.
No one has time for mis-hires. That’s why the ability to actively identify the best reps and successfully bring them on board is absolutely critical.

The Most Important Skill of Remarkable Sales Managers: Hiring Effectively

Key Takeaways: How to Hone Your Sales Hiring Craft

• Always interview as many candidates as possible.
• Don’t jump the gun on any one candidate. No matter how likable they are, you really need to dive into what their background is, what they want to achieve, and what their career goals are to make sure they’re a good fit.
• The best questions to ask are the ones that allow candidates to draw out examples. Have them describe situations in which they were challenged and provide details about how they reacted.

Sample Questions and Free Sales Hiring Assessment

Download our free sales interview benchmark guide. Inside you’ll find the necessary questions to ask to really dig into a candidate’s experience and assess them on the three key components — Drive, Selling Skills, and Personal Attributes — that ultimately separate the best sales reps from the rest.






Photo by: David Wall