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It’s Only Common Sense: Hiring a 21st-century Salesperson

It’s a new world out there, and what worked in sales for years just doesn’t cut it anymore. The old sales techniques on the golf course, at the bar, and through friendships over common sense in business are things of the past. Looking for salespeople today includes an entirely new set of guidelines.

When you start your search to find a 21st-century salesperson, be certain that he or she will be fully equipped with the following characteristics. A 21st-century salesperson should:

1. Be Computer-savvy

This first attribute is the most obvious—so obvious that I almost hesitate to mention it—but a 21st-century salesperson should be completely able to work their way around a computer including Word, Excel, and whatever program you use for sales from Act! CRM to Sales Force Automation. Chances are the person you hire today will not even remember learning to use a computer; it will have been there since the time they were born and they’ve most likely had some form of a computer with them since they were in the crib, or at least the playpen.

2. Be Comfortable With Many Aspects of Social Media

Unlike my peers—some of whom say silly things like, “I don’t believe in social media,” which is tantamount to saying that they don’t believe the Earth is round—a 21st-century salesperson will be comfortable on all social media platforms. They may even be more than comfortable and will be able to excel in all aspects of social media, including sales engine optimization (SEO), to help your company succeed.

3. Be Much More Open-minded

A 21st-century salesperson has to know when to bob and when to weave, adapting to whatever situation occurs. They have to know how to work with all generations—even the older ones. The companies they will work with are going to include people of all ages and from various backgrounds, and they have to be comfortable working with all of them. The added bonus of working with a 21st-century salesperson is that they have grown up in a multinational environment and are not bound or limited by prejudice and bias, which is exceptional in today’s world.

4. Be Passionate About Working in Sales

If you don't have passion, you won’t succeed when it comes to sales—or anything else for that matter. A 21st-century salesperson has to be excited about what they are doing and what they are selling to customers.

5. Have a Thirst for Knowledge

A 21st-century salesperson should especially have a thirst for knowledge about the products and services they are selling. This is very important when selling a technical product. The days of the uninformed, non-technical salesperson are over. Now, salespeople have to know all that they can about your company’s products and services. They have must be capable of making sales calls without the help of an engineer or other technical personnel.

6. Be Creative in All Aspects of the Job

Salespeople have to find a way to get in front of that customer and make the sale. A 21st-century salesperson has a distinct advantage, understanding how people connect and communicate with each other in today’s world. They will know how to get in front of the right people at the right time.

7. Be a Missionary for Their Company and Products

A 21st-century salesperson has to feel so strongly about what they are providing customers that they will try to convince them to buy it from them with apostle-like passion. They believe in the story and mission of your company. If the product or anything else seems phony, they will not sell it. This new salesperson has a great deal of honesty and integrity, which translates into everything they do.

And finally, one more; under-promise and over-deliver, right? A 21st-century salesperson always finds ways to learn more about everything. They have a passionate thirst for knowledge that drives them to search for answers to the problems that a career in sales brings them.

As many of our peer group retire and the torch is passed to this new generation, have faith in them. Try to understand them. They are better educated, smarter, and more capable than any generation before them. Hire them with the full confidence that they will do a great job for you even if they have to learn your product. Remember that you can teach them about the product, but you can’t teach passion.

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group.