The costs associated with identifying and recruiting talented salespeople who meet the qualifications of your sales position can be astronomical and this is not even considering the costs associated with hiring the wrong salespeople and the painstaking process of realizing your mistake.

As a hiring sales manager I have spent many years facing this dilemma and have realized how imperative it is to hire and develop the right salespeople from the beginning. The fact is, hiring and developing the right candidates is the number one way to ensure your company and services are being properly represented in the marketplace.

As a sales manager, it is important that you are development orientated and focus on the development and training of your sales team. Teaching your salespeople how to do the job with continual training and support will ensure you have a higher number of salespeople succeed.

The following are a few keys to help you better manage and develop your salespeople:

• Teach by example. Attend sales activities with your sales reps and review their performance immediately following. Discuss what was successful and things that could have been handled better.
• Emphasize certain skills like prospecting, qualifying, strategizing, and closing.
• Teach your salespeople the fundamentals of selling your product or services but allow them to create their own style.
• Require each sales rep to develop an individual business plan that focuses on their financial objectives and a detailed explanation as to how they will get there.
• Share your past experiences. Discuss strategies that have worked and not worked for you and why.
• Set specific but realistic expectations for activities, performance, etc. 

Taking the time to hire and develop your salespeople properly will ensure your company is receiving the best representation in the marketplace and will help you avoid the astronomical costs and painstaking process of employee turnover in your sales department. In addition, taking the time to manage and develop your salespeople properly will provide great rewards for you in the future.