5 Qualities To Look For In B2B Sales Candidates

Salespersons play a crucial role in a B2B (Business to Business) organization. They act as bridges to connect the company and the buyer. Also, they establish connections with prospects to know and understand their pain points and provide product experiences to address these needs. They also build professional relationships through constant follow-ups to convince the buyer to close the deal.

A salesperson may even offer after-sales service to meet customer needs. Their continuous presence in the sales cycle ensures repeat orders or even referrals. They’re the bloodline of the company, and their efforts can help fuel the company’s growth.

B2B companies need to hire candidates that possess a set of skills and qualities that match the position’s demands. A definitive list can help companies identify and hire candidates to fill a vital part of the B2B chain.

Qualities To Look For

If you’re part of the hiring team, you’re in charge of looking for professionals that possess a clever mix of soft and hard skills that are required for successful B2B sales candidates. Aside from a comprehensive resume, you can also use the interview to determine if sales candidates have the following qualities:

• Strong Social Skills

Sales are very personal interactions. It requires social skills to build relationships, especially with high-level executives who’ll ultimately handle the buying decision.

Successful B2B sales candidates need to demonstrate exceptional verbal and written skills to interact with customers in various ways. They need to perform cold calls and use the right words to establish connections and show empathy. Aside from this, they would also need to show some level of writing proficiency to handle emails, instant messages, or text messages from clients.

Listening is also an important social skill. A prospective B2B salesperson can show their listening ability in a mock call when paraphrasing the customer’s ideas. Lastly, their language and gestures demonstrate an understanding that can be helpful in the actual sales pitch.

• Exemplify Creativity

B2B sales candidates should also demonstrate the ability to find new opportunities to locate prospects and generating leads. They must also show they can solve problems creatively by generating new ideas and find practical solutions to resolve issues.

Effective sales recruitment techniques can highlight this skill. During the interview, you can ask if they’ve experienced challenging situations in life and what steps they took. Alternately, you can present a sales scenario and ask them how they would solve a certain problem. Their answers can help you gauge how they address issues that they might encounter during the sales process.

• Research Skills

Aside from social skills and problem-solving abilities, your prospective salesperson should also manifest extensive research skills.

To gauge a candidate’s skills, ask them how much they know about your company, and their response gives you an idea of how in-depth their knowledge is. You might even ask them about the products or services you offer.

A favorable answer implies that they know the value of research in the B2B sales cycle. Taking the extra mile to learn about customers and address their needs can shorten the process and help establish the sale faster.

• Persistence And Tenacity

Sales cycles in a B2B environment often last for several months. Successful B2B sales candidates know that rejection is part of the entire process, which is why they should persist in their commitment to close the deal no matter what. This means that they should remain focused on their goals and even use critical feedback to learn and grow.

In interviewing prospective candidates, you can ask them about their long-term goals or look for accomplishments demonstrating their persistence. Ask them to provide you with a morale-boosting quote or gave them one in the context of a B2B sales environment.

• Digital Proficiency

You’ll also want a professional who displays a level of digital proficiency. They should know how to use a variety of tools to help them do their job efficiently.

In addition to basic computer skills, they would also need to be familiar with CRM, sales enablement tools, and online collaboration tools. They would also need to know how to craft sales presentations, compose emails, and use social media to promote your brand and products.

Ask candidates how they feel about technology and explain how they can effectively use digital tools. Better yet, you can include an assessment test to ensure you have the right person for the B2B sales position.

Conclusion

Having a definite set of skills and qualities when you’re on the lookout for a new salesperson helps you locate the best B2B sales candidate for the job. The top qualities to look for in a professional are a clever mix of soft and hard skills that’ll ensure your potential sales associate serves as a wielding link between you, your customers, and your B2B company’s growth and success.