4 Ways a Seasoned Sales Hire Can Bring You Success

Business strategy is, in some ways, similar to chess.

Your board (or sales territory) is full of the standard battle-ready pieces: pawns, rooks, knights, bishops, kings, and queens; each of which brings their own unique abilities to the game. A new sales rep is the rook: a relatively strong player because of their range of flexibility but limited in their movements. Similarly, the experienced sales hire would be the pawn.

That’s right. A pawn.

Our rep is the pawn because he tends to get overlooked in the hiring arena. But, like pawns in chess, sales reps are highly versatile. When your pawn makes it to the opponent’s end of the board, it becomes one of the most powerful pieces in the game.

Adding an experienced player to your team can give you an unexpected advantage.

Your rep could be the trailblazer for the rest of your team.

The knowledge and expertise they carry from prior experience can provide you, the hiring manager, with desirable benefits. You'll have more time for other tasks, a higher ROI with an overall increase in sales volume, and an exceptionally strong and competitive sales team. With a fresh sales hire, you’d likely experience a fraction of these perks.

Get Yourself Some Well-Earned Time

Hands down, time is our most valuable and limited resource. Thankfully, an experienced salesperson knows how to make the most out of their time. They’ve had plenty of time to learn the ins and outs of industry-specific sales pitches and tactics.

Focus on teaching value points early on so your rep can put their expertise to good use. You can teach them:

• How to handle customer objections with scenario trainings
• How to set and achieve sales goals
• How to use sales enablement resources to sell better
• Everything they need to know about the product their selling

On average, experienced salespeople take much less time reaching full productivity. So less time spent on training means more time for more pressing tasks.

Close Deals, not Doors

NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky’s famous quote “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” is an ode to the perfect sales mentality.

Trust in your rep’s natural talent to close deals and handle prospects. They're just as smooth with their words as a puck is on ice. Don’t worry about them missing any of these shots, because once they’ve adjusted to their new working environment, seasoned sales hires are likely to have a higher success rate in closing deals. You won’t have to worry about the long on-boarding period that comes with hiring an inexperienced salesman.

High ROI

Doesn't it feel great when your rep goes above and beyond your expectations? That’s much more common among veteran SDRs. There’s less risk involved in hiring someone with experience and solid recommendations as opposed to someone without. Since the expectations between the two are very different, they should be approached accordingly. Provide the right tools and training to the right reps, in order to increase your long-term win-rate.

Build a Sturdy Team

You always want to play your best team when you’re on the field. Don’t fall victim to constraints such as limits and uncertainty. Build a successful sales team with strengths in all areas.

Leadership is key to success in sales, and experienced reps know how to lead when necessary. Not only are they exceptional sellers, they're also great for mentoring your less experienced SDRs. Pairing seasoned reps with developing ones can bring about amazing results for all involved. Newer reps get hands-on experience while the veterans get to stay sharp by answering questions from newcomers.

When you put together a team that continues to improve itself organically, you greatly increase your likelihood of success. Let the talent speak for itself  by putting together a diverse and cohesive team that also propels itself to the top.

The Takeaway

Sales is a game of chess: the more forethought you put into your moves, the less likely you are to make a mistake. The benefits of on-boarding seasoned sales hire will encourage positive results from your team. The relationship between you and your rep should be mutually beneficial. Enable your sales team by providing them with valuable assets necessary for success.