5 Signs It’s the Right Time to Hire a Hunter

By Peter McKeon, Founder & Director, Salesmasters International

Strong sales capability gives businesses a distinct competitive advantage. One way to improve it, is by developing a great sales team. However, hiring isn’t always the answer to sales problems, or a surefire way to increase revenue.

When should you hire? 

1. Sales goals have increased. You are forecasting new goals, and are at capacity,
2. Your existing sales activities are bringing in healthy revenue. This will mean you have capacity to invest in a new salesperson.
3. You need more specialised skill sets. You’ve identified a sales skill that’s not present within your existing team. For instance, you have a team of farmers servicing long-term accounts and need a hunter to develop new business.
4. You want to break into a new market. A salesperson with experience and connections could help give you a foothold in a new space.
5. You have tried to automate the tasks with technology, but it hasn’t worked. Before hiring, you’ve done all you can to systemise sales, and are confident a new salesperson will be fulfilling a role you can’t automate.

The #1 reason not to hire.

One of the biggest mistakes I see leaders make is hiring salespeople to relieve the burden of revenue. If you’re experiencing a sales crisis, and aren’t intimate with your sales process, I recommend working on this first. Asking a new salesperson to fix a problem you know little about is fraught with danger. Take the time to deeply understand how sales works for you. It is key to sales growth, and ultimately, building a great team.

Help to find a hunter.

To help you select your next superstar, I’m sharing this interview guide. Hire a Hunter Interview Questions [PDF]. Get insight into sales thinking to conduct a meaningful interview with your sales candidates.

A fresh perspective on your sales.

You may also qualify for a Good to Great Audit (90-minutes). This is not exclusive to advice on hiring, we can meet you wherever you are on the sales journey. We get under the bonnet of your sales and give you a clear understanding of your situation and opportunities for growth. It’s my hope you will walk away with a clearer path forward, and three quick wins that you can implement in your business right now.