This advice has come in response to new date from Office Angels and mysalarychecker.com, which has revealed that sales and telesales roles are in high demand across all industries.

This is because all companies look for successful sales people to help position their business for future growth.

Although, in comparison to general staffing administrative roles, sales salaries are at the lower end, salespeople and telesales advisors can earn a considerable amount through commission and bonus schemes.

David Clubb, MD of Office Angels told HR Magazine: “Next year is undoubtedly going to be incredibly tough, and jobseekers are going to have to be more flexible when applying for jobs. Candidates shouldn’t just look at the salary of any given role but also consider the wider package and where the job may lead in terms of future opportunities. Commission, bonuses and other benefits can boost a mediocre salary and ensure that take-home pay is much higher.

“Our data shows that there are plenty of advertised vacancies available, although the large pool of jobseekers in the UK means that there will be strong competition for roles. Being prepared to accept a lower salary and then work hard to supplement that through performance-related pay can help candidates widen their search. Sales roles can also be crucial to career development, helping people who are new to the workforce to develop transferable skills which can help them in their future careers.”

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In the last study into global sales effectiveness by CSO Insights*, nearly two thirds of sales professionals said that the Internet has had a significant impact on account research and a quarter said it has had a noticeable impact.

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It is essential to get the right people for sales positions and the recruitment process will need to be well planned to make that happen. As team dynamics are crucial, many businesses are now using psychometric testing prior to interviewing and using specific methods like behavioural competency questions during the interview itself. These and similar methods allow employers to get a good insight into the candidates’ personalities plus their strengths and weaknesses.

Team building
The goal for a team is to collectively achieve more than a group of individuals could and this is where effective team building comes into play. There are numerous team building methods. Some are suitable for use during team meetings, some are social events and others are hosted and administrated by outside organizations. These are often residential events. Some companies require their new recruits to attend one of these events before starting their new jobs in order to establish how best to integrate them.

Sales staff are historically well paid and it is normal practice for them to receive a basic salary plus commission on sales, with the ratio being dependent upon individual business circumstances. Having regular reviews and offering performance related bonuses gives the opportunity for interaction with team members on an individual basis, as well as giving them more incentive to do well.

These one-to-one meetings should also address any issues a team member may have that could be affecting their performance either at work or elsewhere. Work related issues can be addressed by additional managerial support or training. As far as personal problems go, a good manager will have an ‘open door’ policy making them approachable for staff to talk to at any time.

All the information needed
Within the workplace, a team must be well armed with all of the information they need about the company, its products, strategies and services. As well as having an induction process in place, it is worth taking the time to create manuals for the sales team so that they have answers at their fingertips wherever they are. It also goes without saying that adequate means of communication will be needed. In most cases this will mean providing them with a mobile phone and laptop.

A team will function at its best when it is completely clear on what its objectives are. Targets should be a matter for team discussion and set realistically for each member. Unrealistic targets which cannot be met are likely to de-motivate the team and result in less productivity overall. In addition to targets, it is also important to agree on KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for each person. For a sales team these could include factors like sales conversion rate (ratio of sales to calls made) and awareness of analytics e.g. customer retention rates.

Keeping a sales team happy and motivated is a full time task, but it is one that can be made much easier by getting to know each member well. Offer frequent praise for positive input and congratulations for achievements and always make sure that if criticism is required, it is done constructively. Above all, aim to minimise stress levels within the workplace as much as possible and make the effort to plan relaxing treats for the whole team with the subject of work banned for the duration.

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Today, however, the application of technology has begun to change certain elements of the sales industry beyond recognition. This isn’t a phenomenon that’s exclusive to sales as a sector. Technology is revolutionising business and consumer markets everywhere we look, from powerful customer management databases to managing business operations, social media tools for business communication, e-commerce platforms for online trading and web-based conference calls.

Power of the internet
At the heart of these changes lies the power of the internet and the steep change it’s made in the way salespeople and customers manage and control information flow. Nowadays, anyone with a search engine can find as much information themselves as a salesperson can give although quality and accuracy of content is obviously a concerning factor. Information flows are no longer top-down from salesperson to potential customer. The buying process has become more conversation based, with the customer ever more informed.

Experts believe that this transformation is set to continue, as new technologies appear that continue to alter traditional buyer and seller relationships. Every time a new adopted technology appears, buying behaviours change and evolve. With change moving at an ever faster pace, the pressure on companies to adapt and evolve, keeping abreast of what’s new and responding to it, becomes greater. Training of sales staff becomes more important, as does market research, speedy product development, organisational intelligence and responsive leadership.

Patterns and personas
For the new social media driven buyer, organisations need to firstly understand new buying patterns and personas, which are predominantly more customer oriented. Greater and more meaningful customer insights are required and research must focus on qualitative data, as well as hard MI. Salespeople need to be smart, reactive and intuitive about what makes their customers tick in the information age. They must also understand changing buyer journeys and the nature of rapidly developing market readiness. Five year marketing and sales strategy plans simply won’t be enough. Planning must be fast and responsive to change and processes must allow opportunities to be capitalised on by smart sales staff.

At the same time, organisations must always be seeking to understand customer buying patterns, customer readiness, changing markets and the impact of new technologies. Behaviours, goals and patterns will change and evolve at increasingly fast paces. Smart organisations need to be set up to understand and respond to this. For example, how is social media being used and capitalised by salespeople? What is the strategy for monetizing this channel?

Of course, even in the midst of rapid change, some old factors hold true. The customer is still central, they still have needs and a good salesperson will use available channels to satisfy these needs with their products and services and build a mutually satisfying and profitable relationship. Salespeople will still need to advise buyers during their journey and uphold the brand experience.

What sort of things should salespeople be getting their heads around today? Digital marketing is a key area, with online advertising and social media activity providing paid-for and ‘free’ conversation that shares information and can then be used to drive sales and build a company’s brand. There is also content marketing which will mean recognising the importance of good quality content online to move buyers towards a purchase decision.

For sales directors, training delivery for staff is essential. Often, it will need to be online, daily and possibly app driven. Building closer links with marketing, digital development teams and PR is key to driving forward effective usage of the new available channels. Making sure sales staff are comfortable with new technologies and engaging with potential customers via social media channels is also hugely important.

As with all business, the maxim remains that you either sink or swim. Change is a constant and good organisations will recognise the opportunities that come from new technologies such as the opportunity to reach new markets and reduce the cost to sell via social tools. Organisations that embrace change and find ways to respond to it, or even drive it, will remain competitive. Those who attempt to ignore change and hope it goes away will be disappointed!

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Sure, knowledge and experience play a role in their success, but when you scratch the surface you quickly discover that highly effective tele-sales reps all have one thing in common: they are exceptionally good closers.

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Research in this context doesn’t simply mean a quick visit onto the employer’s website. It means something a little savvier that shows you’ve really put some thought in. You need to demonstrate that you know who their clients are and do some research into their competitors. Try to ascertain why their customers use the business and what are their strengths and conversely, what are their weaknesses. If it’s appropriate, why not put a call into their sales team as a customer and find out their current sales strategy.

This research gives you the same head start that you get with successful selling. The best salespeople tend to do the most research and for your interview, it demonstrates to the employer that you are willing to put the time in and use your brain. It will also give them an instant appraisal of your approach to sales meetings and customer visits, so it’s a chance to demonstrate your skills in action.

Also, identify the skills that the prospective employer is looking for. Read the job advert and person specification in real detail. Think around it and understand what you can bring to the role. Think of examples where you have demonstrated the required skills in previous situations and what the results were. Ideally, take evidence of these results with you, whether that’s previous sales stats, references, payslips or other forms of achievement evidence. By providing a tangible back up to your claim, you can establish a trustworthy rapport from the start, demonstrating that you can back up your claims, unlike salespeople who claim the earth but ultimately deliver no such thing!

Make an impact
When you attend the interview, make the right impact from the word go. This means looking the part and being confident and open, without coming across as arrogant. Keep an eye on your body language. Keep it open and receptive to build rapport without dominating space. Show that you are in control of the situation by keeping eye contact and building an engagement with the interview. Avoid showing your nerves, even if you do feel them.

Expect questions designed to test behaviours and key competencies that relate to the role, such as resilience, adaptability, persuasiveness, presentation skills and negotiation. Look up typical questions and prepare some answers before you go in. Also, research and prepare for questions that test how well you understand good customer service, which is a vital aspect of sales. Reference papers, industry publications, relevant experience, blogs, networking groups, recent sales you’ve closed and respected speakers and thinkers in the field, anything that shows your deeper interest in the profession and enthusiasm to learn and progress. This will show your potential to advance to more strategic positions.

Know your figures. You will be asked about your targets, average order values, achievements against objectives and average client spend. It’s amazing how many salespeople stumble when asked about the basic figures, so don’t be one of them. A strong awareness of your numbers shows competence and trustworthiness.

Your own questions
Don’t make it a one-way conversation; come armed with your own questions. Show that you want to know more about the role. Rather than homing straight in on the package and benefits, ask what has made predecessors successful in the role, what the company’s objectives are, what the challenges may be and the best and worst things about working for the company. Asking great questions is another way of demonstrating strong sales skills first hand. Also, make notes as you talk, to show that you’re genuinely listening and absorbing the information.

Of course, make sure you close! Any sales manager interviewing a potential recruit will expect the candidate to close the interview well. Overcome any given objections and close. Hopefully, they will see how resilient you are. If the objection comes, close. If another comes, work around it and close again. View it as a chance to demonstrate your abilities with the most important skill in sales.
These steps should help you feel more organised, prepared and ready to face your next sales interview head on and come out with the result you want, which is your next sales job!

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