Of all the types of techies out there, salespeople are often the most comfortable in an interview. After all, selling yourself to a recruiter can be a whole lot like selling a product to a customer. But no two sales organizations are alike, and understanding exactly what makes someone successful on a particular team can give you both a leg-up in the interview and a better understanding of whether or not a role is a good fit in the first place.
Here’s what three Colorado hiring managers look for in their next sales hire and what you can do to stand out from the crowd.
Evolve Vacation Rental Network’s online platform helps homeowners manage their rental properties and connects them with travelers throughout the country. We asked Property Acquisition Manager Karlyn Verseman what she looks for in new additions to her team and what makes their sales philosophy unique.
What qualities do you look for in a salesperson for Evolve? Why are those qualities so important for making someone successful on your team?
When interviewing potential candidates, we really look for people with internal motivation. Because it's a sales role and we do not micromanage, we really need people who are willing to work hard and leave it all on the field every day. Another important quality of being a successful salesperson at Evolve is being a team player. We all have individual goals, but the ultimate goal is our sales team goal. Everyone contributes to this and encourages one another.
How can sales candidates stand out when pursuing a role with you?
Do your research on our company and be yourself. We interview many potential candidates and can tell when someone is being their authentic self and when they are telling us what they think we want to hear. Do you know what we do? Do you stand by our brand and mission? If so, you could be a great addition to Evolve!
What's something unique about your sales team or sales process that candidates should know?
Evolve's mission is to make vacation rental easy and we work to emphasize that with every conversation. We consider ourselves educators — not sellers. We generate partnerships rather than transactions, and we focus on helping vacation rental homeowners be as successful as they can, whether they are a good fit for our network or not.
Convercent helps businesses maintain compliance and avoid risks by bringing together every facet of the compliance process into one software platform. Recruiter Lauren Miller explained what it takes to be successful on Convercent’s sales team and how candidates can shine in the interview process.
What qualities do you look for in a salesperson for your company? Why are those qualities so important for making someone successful on your team?
We look for a positive team player with strong business acumen, high emotional intelligence and the drive to keep moving forward. Our sales team is comprised of passionate individuals who believe in our mission of driving ethics to the center of business.
How can sales candidates stand out when pursuing a role with you?
You get bonus points if you have a proven track record of successfully selling software or a compliance background.
What's something unique about your sales team or sales process that candidates should know?
They are a very tight-knit, collaborative and supportive team of people who challenge each other on a daily basis.
Thanx’s SaaS platform helps companies make the most of their data and automate marketing campaigns to develop deeper relationships with their most loyal customers. Sales Development Managers Danny Mason and Taylor Phillips-Brown shared their tips for salespeople looking to join the Thanx team.
What qualities do you look for in a salesperson for your company? Why are those qualities so important for making someone successful on your team?
We look for people who are passionate — passionate about their role, problems to solve, sales or anything else. They must have a “hunter” mentality and be eager to make new connections, learn about new clients, uncover pain and solve challenges with conviction.
Most importantly, we want team members who recognize they're part of a whole. We all learn from each other, teach those around us and truly care about the people we work with. And because startup life isn’t easy, they need to have discipline and grit to chase long-term goals. We are still figuring out this market. If you aren’t adaptive to change, this would be a hard place for you to work.
How can sales candidates stand out when pursuing a role with you?
Be prepared for the interview. Research the problem we're trying to solve and the customers that we serve. Browse the resource section of our website or check out some of the articles our CEO Zach Goldstein has published. Be ready to use real-life examples of how you've found success in previous positions (or in life in general) as well as how you have thrived in environments like this in the past.
What's something unique about your sales team or sales process that candidates should know?
The whole Thanx team thrives on "radical candor." The cornerstone of our sales environment is giving feedback to each other. Whether it's on the sales floor, during role play sessions or while doing call reviews, no one ever shies away from giving constructive feedback.
OpenTable connects people to the restaurants they know and love — as well as ones they’ve yet to discover — allowing them to find restaurants, read reviews and book reservations online. Senior Director of Sales Jon Foley got candid about the qualities that matter most in an OpenTable salesperson and what it's like for a new member of the team.
What qualities do you look for in a salesperson for your company? Why are those qualities so important for making someone successful on your team?
We look for salespeople who have a combination of empathy for our customers and the ability to challenge. It’s critical in our business that someone understands the unique needs of restaurants and is able to push the boundaries of conventional thought when the time is right.
How can sales candidates stand out when pursuing a role with you?
We look for people who bring their whole self to their role. We want to hire those who are passionate about our business, our culture and our customers. In interviews, we are really looking for the “true you” and not someone who answers how they think we would.
What's something unique about your sales team or sales process that candidates should know?
We’re truly more of a family than a team. We get a lot of comments from our new hires about how willing everyone is to share the keys to success.
_1.png)
