“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

This quote is everywhere in recruitment, and is important to remember when thinking about hiring an amateur. It was made famous by the film The Wolf of Wall Street, but it was originally quoted by a Red Adair, an American oil-well firefighter, who was a pioneer in his profession and made famous for his role in the Gulf War.

So, what are we talking about?

Firstly, when talking about sales, remember: “In most companies 80% of sales revenue is brought-in by just 20% of their sales capacity.” (Outbound Excellence, 2016)

Here are the THREE BIG ONES between an Amateur and a Pro in Sales…

Objection Handling

Of course people are going to be sceptical and have hesitations, it’s human nature, it’s our defense mechanism. The difference? A pro will listen, empathise, show solutions and close the sale.

Detecting Pain Points

These are the real or perceived problems the client has that you are providing solutions for. A client may come to you because they think their problem is to do with Inbound Marketing, however upon talking to them you realise their problem is they don’t have a clearly defined Brand, nor do they know what their values/purpose/goals are. This is what a pro does, they listen attentively to the client and find out what their main challenges are, for real.

Articulation of Value

The articulation of value is not only about words, but actions too. Follow-up here is really important, this shows the customer how you will follow-through after the sale is made. A pro articulates value through how they respond promptly to the client, have a wide understanding of the industry at large and are a source of knowledge/value to the client.

But, just because someone doesn’t have a huge amount of experience and a long CV, doesn’t necessarily mean they are an amateur. Hiring is an art. Finding the right talent to match your business’s brand and objective is a masterpiece.

Also, $$$ is a big factor. So many people say they can’t find good talent, well sometimes its worth it to accept lower profits in the short term to invest in good talent and good people who will help you grow your business for the longer term.

Here are the BIG THREE TIPS for Hiring…

1. Have a clear message for your potential new recruits. Who are you? What is your brand? Why should they leave their current job to come and work for you?

2. Know what it is you’re looking for. What sort of personality would complement your already existing team? What level of experience do you need? What is your capacity to train and support? What skills do you require to grow your business?

3. Have an employee-friendly recruitment process. Don’t lose a good candidate because you failed to communicate with them and they took another offer while waiting for you. Be considerate of their schedule. Use modern tech i.e. Facetime, Skype. Answer questions they may have. Engage with them.

Hunt and Hawk are team culture specialists. If you are thinking that your business may need a fresh face, we can help you identify the sort of person your company needs, recruit them and then train them up. We are your one-stop shop when it comes to finding, hiring and training new talent.