All companies stick to the motto that it’s all about the customer. While this term is usually used in marketing, it inevitably plays a huge role in the sales of every business. Therefore, understanding the needs of your customers and developing long-lasting relationships are crucial in today’s competitive landscape.

Talking about this leads us to our main point. Salespeople are on the front lines of developing these relationships and bringing the business towards success. However, building a B2B sales team can be tricky due to the ever-changing factors in the business field.

In order to help you, we’ve decided to point out the main aspects you should consider for creating a high-performing B2B sales team. So, let’s begin!

Determine the Structure of Your Sales Team

While the first step of every business strategy is understanding what you’re selling, who you’re selling to, and how the sales cycle works, the second step is deciding how you’ll structure your sales team. In other words, building a successful B2B sales team requires an in-depth understanding of your goods or services, target audience, and the overall sales process.

When it comes to B2B sales teams, you have two options:

• Specialized structure
• 360 salesperson structure

The specialized structure means that a dedicated team member will manage the sales. This structure comes in especially handy if you’re facing a complex sales journey where you try to maximize efficiency and support your employees’ skills.

On the other hand, the 360 salesperson structure refers to a single employee who works on building deep, long-lasting, and meaningful relationships with your clients.

Set Clear Roles Within Your Team

Once you have the team structure, it’s time to define the roles of your team members. This is of great importance so that you can have a B2B sales team that is hard-working, efficient, and pretty successful. Again, there are two approaches according to your B2B structure.

If you’ve decided to implement the specialized team structure, each salesperson needs to have a specific task. That said, here are the most prominent roles for this type of sales team:

In the specialized structure, the roles operate in a segmented fashion, each focusing on a specific stage of the sales process:

• Sales Development Representatives: These employees identify and qualify leads and make sure that the sales process is efficient.
• Account Executives: AEs are crucial for negotiating and making deals, helping you transform your goals into business relationships.
• Customer Success Representatives: Once the sale is made, customer success representatives step in to maintain your consumers’ satisfaction and nurture long-term relationships.
• Managers: Of course, you need someone who will guide the strategy and ensure that everything goes according to plan. This is where the manager’s role plays the most significant role and also drives the whole team towards success.

Compared to the aforementioned structure, the 360 salesperson combines all of the roles to provide a seamless seller-buyer relationship. This employee manages the process and builds and maintains valuable relationships.

Enhance the Recruitment Process

B2B experts claim that if you’re hiring right, you won’t have any issues with your sales team. That’s why it’s crucial to identify the most significant traits and skills within your potential employee. Focus on optimism, ambition, and adaptability. These three characteristics are your way towards a high-performing team.

However, you should also provide clear job descriptions while at the same time highlighting the place for progress and improvement. On top of this, engaging in the right way with the candidates is a must. Answering their questions and giving them insight into your organization’s culture and success stories will make them eager for a challenge.

Maintain a Robust Sales Team Culture

The culture within your organization affects the most important aspects of your employees’ performance – their behavior and attitude. Consider it like this: if you have a positive sales team culture, you’ve basically set the basis for aligning your goals with the team’s productivity. If your team is satisfied, then your sales and customer interactions will flourish.

However, you need to be aware of what to focus on if you want to maintain a positive sales team culture.

Define Your Sales’ Culture

First and foremost, you must be clear about the culture of your sales team. Outline all of your expectations and develop a strategy that is suitable for each of your co-workers. Once you do this, you’re indeed approaching success.

Align Your B2B Goals to the Culture

Setting clear and measurable goals that reflect your determined culture is of great essence. In order to achieve this, you must communicate with your employees and provide feedback on every task. Only then will you make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Regularly Motivate Your Team

Your team will manage to surpass the set goals only if they feel valued and inspired. Due to this, you may consider setting up a rewards system that will highlight the individual and the team’s achievements. Don’t forget to appreciate every win, regardless of how small or big it is.

Ultimately, open and honest communication about the company’s and the individual paths will make everyone feel connected to your long-term mission and vision and help them understand their significant roles.

Promote Continuous Learning

The learning curve is never flat. Therefore, it’s essential that you conduct regular training and workshops, as well as upgrade your resources. As a result, you will help your team keep up with all the innovations and adapt easily to them.

Build an Effective Sales Process

Last but not least is the development of your B2B sales cycle. For your team to follow your goals and complete the tasks, you need to develop a plan for your sales process. That said, you should start off with understanding the customer journey. Carefully track their interaction from the start to the finish so that you can tailor your products and services to their needs and preferences.

As with your employees, you need to communicate with your consumers based on the feedback you receive. This is crucial if you want them to feel welcomed and valuable and continue purchasing from your B2B company.

Crucial Tools for Success

Now that you know the basics of building a well-performing B2B sales team, here are the most important tools that will ease your job:

• Technology: Always keep up with the latest technological trends and implement them in your daily tasks. Try to learn how to write a signature using some of the best tools, utilize AI, implement a schedule software, etc.
• CRM: This software will help you monitor your customers’ interactions, preferences, and feedback, significantly simplifying your further approach and communication.
• Data providers: Using these tools lets you maintain contact with your clients. As a result, you’ll be able to prevent wrong information and wasting time to find some contact.
• Networking tools: If you want to hire and stay in touch with B2B clients easily, you need to be active on some of the most popular networking tools, such as LinkedIn.

Final Thoughts

Creating a B2B sales team may be harder than you thought, but your journey should be much easier after our tips and detailed explanations. These steps will help you develop the best team and ensure smooth customer collaboration.

As a podcast host, I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Gabe Lulu, a sales expert based in New York. We had an insightful conversation about the challenges of recruiting salespeople, the impact of technology on sales, and the importance of understanding individual motivations. Here’s a recap of our discussion.

The Challenges of Recruiting Salespeople

Recruiting salespeople is no easy task, especially for entry-level positions. As Gabe pointed out, fewer indicators of skills and experience for these candidates make the hiring process even more challenging. With the advancements in technology and the increasing number of applicants for each job, finding the right salesperson becomes a more significant challenge.

We also touched on the perception of sales as a career. It’s often seen as a stepping stone rather than a lifelong profession. However, Gabe emphasized that sales is a valuable and lucrative career path, with many CEOs having a background in sales.

The Impact of Technology on Sales

Our conversation then shifted to the impact of technology on sales. Initially, there was fear that automation would replace salespeople. However, as Gabe pointed out, it was an enhancement rather than a replacement. He highlighted the importance of assessing a candidate’s technology skills during the interview process, especially in a remote sales environment.

We discussed the various tools and applications that salespeople need to manage their sales pipeline effectively. However, we also cautioned against getting too caught up in technology and emphasized the need to focus on metrics and outcomes.

Recruiting Younger Generations

Recruiting younger generations presents its own set of challenges. These individuals are tech-savvy but also need to possess relationship-building skills. Gabe discussed the importance of communication skills in the interview process for sales candidates, particularly on the phone. His company conducts role-play sessions and provides opportunities for candidates to record themselves to assess their tonality, communication style, and articulation of messages.

We agreed that younger generations may not have as much experience talking on the phone, so training is necessary in this area. Gabe mentioned that they provide training and support to help candidates improve their phone communication skills. He also noted that finding individuals who can effectively influence others on a phone call is crucial.

The Importance of Attitude and Listening Skills

When it comes to recruiting, Gabe highlighted that attitude is everything. He looks for candidates with a positive attitude, enthusiasm, and charisma, which cannot be seen on a resume but can be assessed through video calls or Zoom meetings. He also values curiosity and intellectual curiosity, as it is essential for salespeople to understand the business of their customers and prospects.

Gabe also mentioned the importance of listening skills and how easily distracted people can be, regardless of their generation. He shared a trick they use to test candidates’ listening skills in the interview process.

Understanding What Motivates Salespeople

We also discussed the importance of understanding what motivates salespeople individually. Gabe mentioned a video by Gary Vaynerchuk, where he emphasizes that as sales leaders, it is crucial to know what motivates each team member instead of simply throwing money at them. He believes that many new sales leaders make the mistake of assuming what motivates them will also motivate their team. He suggests asking salespeople directly what motivates them and then creating incentives around those motivations.

I agreed with Gabe and added that the answers to what motivates salespeople may surprise you. It’s significant to understand individual motivations to incentivize and drive performance effectively.

Introducing Alley Oop Audio

Gabe took the opportunity to introduce his company, Alley Oop Audio, which specializes in helping businesses generate more qualified demos and appointments for their sales teams. They handle the front end of prospecting through various personalized methods such as phone, LinkedIn, and email. They aim to increase the number of scheduled appointments and qualified demos for executive sales teams.

I acknowledge the value of Alley Oop Audio’s services and encourage you to check them out.

I want to thank Gabe for his insights and you, the readers, for your time. The sales industry is complex and ever-evolving, but we can navigate it successfully with the right strategies and understanding. Stay tuned for more insightful conversations on my podcast.

The Art of Recruiting Salespeople

As a podcast host, I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Gabe Lullo, a sales expert based in New York. We had an insightful conversation about the challenges of recruiting salespeople, the impact of technology on sales, and the importance of understanding individual motivations. Here’s a recap of our discussion.

The Challenges of Recruiting Salespeople

Recruiting salespeople is no easy task, especially when it comes to entry-level positions. As Gabe pointed out, there are fewer indicators of skills and experience for these candidates, making the hiring process even more challenging. With the advancements in technology and the increasing number of applicants for each job, finding the right salesperson becomes a bigger challenge.

We also touched on the perception of sales as a career. It’s often seen as a stepping stone rather than a lifelong profession. However, Gabe emphasized that sales is a valuable and lucrative career path, with many CEOs having a background in sales.

The Impact of Technology on Sales

Our conversation then shifted to the impact of technology on sales. Initially, there was fear that automation would replace salespeople. However, as Gabe pointed out, it turned out to be an enhancement rather than a replacement. He highlighted the importance of assessing a candidate’s technology skills during the interview process, especially in a remote sales environment.

We discussed the various tools and applications that salespeople need to manage their sales pipeline effectively. However, we also cautioned against getting too caught up in technology and emphasized the need to focus on metrics and outcomes.

Recruiting Younger Generations

Recruiting younger generations presents its own set of challenges. These individuals are tech-savvy but also need to possess relationship-building skills. Gabe discussed the importance of communication skills, particularly on the phone, in the interview process for sales candidates. His company conducts role play sessions and provides opportunities for candidates to record themselves to assess their tonality, communication style, and articulation of messages.

We agreed that younger generations may not have as much experience talking on the phone, so training is necessary in this area. Gabe mentioned that they provide training and support to help candidates improve their phone communication skills. He also noted that finding individuals who can effectively influence others on a phone call is crucial.

The Importance of Attitude and Listening Skills

When it comes to recruiting, Gabe highlighted that attitude is everything. He looks for candidates with a positive attitude, enthusiasm, and charisma, which cannot be seen on a resume but can be assessed through video calls or Zoom meetings. He also values curiosity and intellectual curiosity, as it is essential for salespeople to understand the business of their customers and prospects.

Gabe also mentioned the importance of listening skills and how easily distracted people can be, regardless of their generation. He shared a trick they use in the interview process to test candidates’ listening skills.

Understanding What Motivates Salespeople

We also discussed the importance of understanding what motivates salespeople individually. Gabe mentioned a video by Gary Vaynerchuk, where he emphasizes that as sales leaders, it is crucial to know what motivates each team member instead of simply throwing money at them. He believes that many new sales leaders make the mistake of assuming that what motivates them will also motivate their team. He suggests asking salespeople directly what motivates them and then creating incentives around those motivations.

I agreed with Gabe and added that the answers to what motivates salespeople may surprise you. It’s significant to understand individual motivations to effectively incentivize and drive performance.

Introducing Alley Oop Audio

Gabe took the opportunity to introduce his company, Alley Oop Audio, which specializes in helping businesses generate more qualified demos and appointments for their sales teams. They handle the front end of prospecting through various personalized methods such as phone, LinkedIn, and email. Their goal is to increase the number of scheduled appointments and qualified demos for executive sales teams.

I acknowledged the value of Alley Oop Audio’s services and encourage you to check them out.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

The Art of Recruiting: A Conversation with Suman Cherry

As a podcaster, I have the privilege of engaging with a variety of experts in different fields. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cherry, a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the recruiting world. Our conversation revolved around the challenges of finding the right match in the hiring process, the changing landscape of job seekers, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s perspectives on work.

The Challenges of Recruiting

Cherry and I delved into the struggles companies face in finding the right match and creating a healthy hiring experience. I shared my own experience, noting that my strike rate for hiring fantastic people is small, a sentiment echoed by many executives I’ve spoken to. Cherry agreed, explaining that recruiting is challenging because it involves matching two humans, not just a transaction. She emphasized the importance of transparency and authenticity in understanding candidates beyond their resumes.

The Traditional Recruiting Process

We acknowledged that the traditional recruiting process has remained largely unchanged for centuries, with some technological advancements. Cherry, as a matchmaker, focuses on creating a deep understanding of both the candidate and the client’s needs. She believes in having real conversations about the role, the company culture, and the candidate’s growth plans. Cherry also mentioned that the recruiting process is often stressful for both candidates and hiring managers, and working with an external recruiter can streamline the process and provide a sense of safety.

The Cost of External Recruiting

I brought up the cost structure of external recruiting, which can be prohibitive for many organizations. Cherry explained that her approach is more consultative and hourly-based, providing value, honesty, and directness. This approach saves clients time and money.

The Importance of Job Descriptions

We discussed the importance of job descriptions and how Cherry takes the time to understand the responsibilities and environment of the role. She emphasized the need to create a comprehensive job description that accurately reflects the role and the company culture.

The Changing Landscape of Job Seekers

Cherry and I also discussed the changing landscape of job seekers and the importance of finding a balance between work and personal life. Cherry mentioned that people are now prioritizing their quality of life and are willing to relocate for remote jobs that offer flexibility. She emphasized that candidates are now assessing job opportunities more deeply than before, looking for companies with a positive and growth-oriented culture.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

We touched on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s perspectives on work. Cherry mentioned that many individuals realized the sacrifices they made for their work and the toll it took on their mental health and personal lives. As a result, they now seek companies that understand the importance of work-life balance and have compassionate and inspiring leaders.

The Importance of Transparency and Authenticity

Cherry highlighted the importance of transparency and authenticity in the recruiting process. She explained that her model, which is based on hourly payment rather than contingent placement, allows for more honest conversations with candidates and clients. She believes in building deep relationships with clients and constantly communicating to ensure a successful hiring process.

The Significance of Onboarding

We also touched on the significance of onboarding in retaining top talent. Cherry acknowledged that onboarding is a crucial aspect that she plans to incorporate into her services in the future. She emphasized the need for companies to create momentum and engagement for new hires through structured onboarding processes, including interactions with leaders and clear goals.

Cherry’s Unique Approach to Recruiting

Cherry, the CEO of Cherry Talent Group, then shared more about her business, which offers a unique approach to recruiting called “recruiting matchmaking.” She describes it as authentic, transparent, and human-based, ultimately saving companies time and money. Cherry expresses her genuine love for working with people and highlights the fun aspect of her job.

In a lighthearted moment, I asked if it’s fair to say that Cherry cherry-picks the best candidates, to which she enthusiastically responded, “I cherry-pick the best!”

In closing, I thanked Cherry for her insights and the audience for watching and listening. Cherry expressed her gratitude as well, and the segment ended on a positive note. This conversation highlighted the importance of onboarding and introduced Cherry’s unique approach to recruiting, showcasing her passion for connecting the right candidates with the right opportunities.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Hunting the top talent for your sales team requires putting in some elbow grease to scout, choose, and onboard a perfect match. This requires offering more than just the salary and, instead, finding a bigger purpose for hiring.

A typical hiring process would involve a job description, must-have experience, and also knowledge of various sales techniques. For instance, look out for a sales expert experienced in bundle pricing who knows how to promote these bundles to potential customers by clearly articulating their benefits and emphasizing cost savings.

But what would motivate a sales professional to join your company?

The potential hires should acknowledge that your business is on a meaningful mission and their role will make a difference. Millennials want more than just a money-driven job. They seek flexibility and culture in the workplace, emphasizing finding purpose in work

Things to consider while hiring sales personnel

The usual hiring protocol involves a detailed job description, necessary experience, and familiarity with various sales strategies. For example, seek a sales specialist well-versed in bundle pricing, someone capable of effectively marketing these bundles to prospective clients by elucidating their advantages and highlighting potential cost reductions.

Adding another dimension, like familiarity with key business processes such as quote-to-cash and order-to-cash, could also be valuable criteria for potential candidates. ‘Quote-to-cash’ is the end-to-end process in the sales cycle that covers creating and managing offers for customers and managing the monetary aspect of customer relationships, whereas ‘order-to-cash’ refers to the comprehensive business process involving receipt of customer orders through to the delivery of goods or services.

If we look at quote to cash vs. order to cash we will be able to understand how it enhances a sales professional’s effectiveness in driving revenue and customer satisfaction. In such instances, hiring top sales talent requires putting their needs first and showcasing them throughout recruitment. It requires introducing organizational culture, matching company goals to future sales hiring, and communicating the value of the position (or role).

In this piece, we’ll look at four key tips that help attract top talent for your sales team.

#1. Bring value proposition to the sales job

Leveraging your company’s value proposition in the sales recruitment process helps attract and retain the best talent in the industry. Rather than simply providing the job description, present a compelling vision of your company’s mission and explain how crucial the required role can be in achieving that mission.

This will make prospective hires see the significant societal impact your business makes. Top-level sales personnel are attracted to prospects where they see the potential to be more than just a functional cog in the corporate machinery and remain pivotal to a meaningful cause.

Such strategic communication attracts individuals passionate about your company’s cause, not just the pay scale. By highlighting your value proposition in the hiring process, you draw top talent who align with your ethos and are eager to contribute to your mission.

#2. Offer competitive compensation

Everyone, including your sales team, appreciates being valued and recognized for their hard work. And one such way to show this is through the component of a broader value equation — payscale. Ensure your compensation package for recruiting and organizing your sales team is enticing and competitive to those offered by other companies in your industry.

Research suggests that a financially-secured and acknowledged employee is more likely to stay motivated, committed, and productive. Visit online resources like Indeed, Monster, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, etc., that offer valuable insights into industry-standard compensation. It helps peek into what other companies offer their sales personnel within your region.

Sales compensation is often complex, comprising base salary, sales commission rates, ramp-ups, accelerators, and decelerators. Additionally, performance incentives and time-based bonuses can significantly impact creating a comprehensive and compelling pay package.

Communicating these elements during the hiring process helps them gauge what they can earn, eliminating any ambiguity around their income potential.

#3. Carve an employer brand

Any chatter around your company on LinkedIn or other social media platforms is a tell-a-tell sign that individuals are pursuing your ’employer brand.’ Improve how potential employees view your company to attract quality sales staff by acing the employer branding game. It drives the organization’s collective perception as a place of employment where prospective sales personnel would look forward to getting associated.

This perception is intricately tied to your Employee Value Proposition (EVP), which includes unique employee benefits in exchange for the sales team’s skills, knowledge, and dedication.

Consider the example of Costco — a globally renowned retail giant holding a reputation as a choice employer. They are always ahead of the curve and extremely customer-centric, serving smiles as regularly as their ‘bulk buy’ deals.

A little self-investigation on Google can help discover what persona your business displays to potential hires. Ensure showcasing your company culture, values, and work environment that help attract potential sales aligning with these elements.

Carving a strong employer brand increases your company’s visibility and reputation, making it a desirable destination for top-performing sales professionals.

#4. Teach your team leaders to make a real difference

Hiring result-driven sales personnel often requires effective backing from sales managers and leaders from the top hierarchy. Setting up a mentoring program can effectively promote a swift and successful integration of a new sales team member, especially throughout probation.

Often, much of their evaluation will depend on the manager’s feedback of the new sales team member. However, a few questions need an answer to determine how well these managers can deliver impactful feedback.

• Can your managers successfully steer opportunity coaching sessions to devise consistent sales techniques and enhance the execution capabilities at the front line?
• Are your managers maintaining continuous communication with new joiners and experienced team members? If not, what’s causing the communication breakdown?
• Is overall feedback actionable, constructive, and tailored to the individual?

On the other hand, there are performance review questions for probationary employees that make way for healthy discussions around the role. It helps managers and new sales personnel achieve the same goal, boosting staff involvement.

Surprisingly, sales managers need more coaching skills to fit these crucial roles. Therefore, consider sales coaching as a spine to attracting and retaining top talent for business growth. Promoting such a system in the organization will help hire top-tier sales professionals looking to grow with the right training.

Before recruiting for the sales team, consider having the sales team coaching backbone ready. Top managers can thus help quality talent shine within the organization to deliver excellent sales numbers.

Conclusion

Building a top-notch sales team is crucial for your business’s success and growth. Prepare a solid business foundation by attracting top talent for the sales department. That said, developing such a team requires an ongoing commitment in the form of time, energy, and human resources.

Much of the hiring success will depend on aligning the team compatibility with your management style, team dynamics, clientele, and company culture. Assessing these attributes alongside professional qualifications is key to building a successful sales team.

Investing in a skilled sales team is like planting seeds that will eventually yield a fruitful harvest. The time and effort spent fostering this team is a rewarding investment for your business’s long-term success.

About the Author –

Hazel Raoult is a freelance tech writer and works with PRmention. She has more than six years of experience writing about ecommerce, technology, entrepreneurship, and all things SaaS. Hazel loves to split her time between writing, editing and hanging out with her family.

Roberta Matuson is the President of Matuson Consulting and the Talent Maximizer. Roberta is a world-renowned expert on leadership and the skills and methods required to gain staff commitment and client loyalty. She is also the author of several books, most notably “Evergreen Talent.” Roberta’s most recent book teaches executives how to plant, nurture, and expand their staff. Roberta and John discuss “finding and retaining top talent at Workplace” in this expert insight interview.

This Expert Insight Interview Discusses:

• Cultivate a sustainable workforce
• How to attract and retain top talent
• What changes should leaders make to their own talent mindset?

Cultivate Evergreen Talent and A Sustainable Workplace

Finding the right talent is difficult. Organizations must constantly review and improve their people’s performance or risk losing their finest personnel. Roberta Matuson’s book Evergreen Talent discusses ideas for attracting and retaining talent in a sustainable, long-term manner. Every organization competes to attract the greatest personnel for their organization. Because exceptional employees make all the difference.

When an employee resigns, it is not as simple as finding a new substitute to do the work. Instead, you must evaluate and uncover the fundamental cause of their departure from your firm. It is difficult to keep great talent in your organization. Here are some pointers to help you keep your best employees:

1. Encourage adaptability.
2. Provide Good Benefits.
3. A Positive Company Culture
4. Ensure a nice onboarding experience
5. Show your gratitude.

Employee Retention Strategies for Retaining Top Talent

Employee retention refers to an organization’s capacity to retain its employees on board, resulting in a more stable and effective workforce. Creating more effective training and development programs is the most obvious method for increasing staff retention.

Strategies for retaining top talent

1. Recognizing the importance of retention begins with recruiting.
2. Identify candidates who will stick with you.
3. Continue to use remote work possibilities.
4. Make your compensation packages competitive.
5. Engage your employees.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Veterans rightly receive respect and admiration for the service they have provided the nation, but you can go a step further by hiring them and giving them a purpose after they have returned to civilian life.

They make especially good prospects for sales jobs, so here is a look at why they are well suited to this type of role, and what benefits businesses can glean by recruiting them.

Tax credits are available

First and foremost it is worth mentioning the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), a federal program that is intended to encourage companies to hire workers like veterans who might otherwise be less likely to get stable jobs.

Applicants will need to complete a WOTC survey to ensure that they are eligible, and employers will then be able to claim tax credits in return for offering roles to qualified individuals within their organization. This could save you thousands a year, so is well worth considering as part of your hiring strategy.

Independent thinking is part of their skillset

Sales team members may need to collaborate with colleagues and communicate with managers frequently, but a lot of the job involves working solo and taking the initiative. This kind of independence is definitely something that veterans can cope with admirably, based on their experiences during their time in the military.

It is this combination of an appreciation for the importance of following practices and processes, and an ability to think for themselves, that ensures veterans can thrive in sales jobs.

Clients will definitely appreciate this and will feel that their unique needs are being met by any veterans they encounter.

Veterans take responsibility for mistakes and learn from them

In every branch of the military, service personnel are required to be accountable for their actions and the consequences that they bring with them. This means that there is no passing the buck, and instead, veterans bring this sense of personal responsibility with them to every aspect of their life.

In sales, they will know that blaming others is unhelpful when they are ultimately the cause of complications that can occur in the fulfillment of their duties. This helps to boost morale and improve relationships between different departments, where otherwise there might be consternation.

Motivations are tied to values more than money alone

For most people working in sales, one of the main motivating factors at play is the promise of a healthy paycheck in combination with the prospect of attractive commission-based earnings. This is all well and good but can lead to issues both in terms of adherence to processes and job satisfaction.

For veterans, the reasons that they got into the military tend to be more grounded in their core values, rather than any financial incentive. This is an approach that they maintain throughout their careers, and in a sales context this means that they take more satisfaction from hitting the targets they are set than from the money they receive for their troubles.

The upshot is that not only will veterans be more focused on their duties, but they will also set an example to others in the sales team, and be more loyal to the organization.

They can find creative solutions to common problems

Problem-solving is important in almost every career, but few jobs have quite as much riding on this as those previously held by veterans.

This means that improvisation is also something they will have learned to develop over their years in the military, and they can apply this fresh perspective to the most often-encountered issues in sales.

Sometimes all that is needed to make a breakthrough and win those clients that have been stubbornly elusive for a long time is to get a newcomer involved, so veterans can be a real asset to all sorts of organizations for this reason.

Veterans know how to stay calm under pressure

For the average person, a sales job can actually be quite overwhelming at times, because you need to get into lots of high-pressure situations without losing your cool.

For veterans, this kind of thing is a relative walk in the park. If you can put up with the physical dangers you will face in the military, then the prospect of tackling important meetings with clients will be a breeze.

So there you have it; veterans are well suited to all sorts of civilian jobs, and sales is a place they can come into their own, so if you run a business that is in need of salespeople, hiring veterans is ideal.