Sales Playbook Step 6: Hiring the Right Salesperson

If you’ve followed the series so far, you might wonder why the sales hiring process shows up only now. Too many companies rush to hire sales reps before laying the groundwork covered in Steps 1-5, and the results range from disappointing to disastrous.

Hiring the right salesperson can mean the difference between accelerated growth and missed opportunity. A defined sales recruitment framework brings structure, consistency, and objectivity to one of the most critical decisions a business makes. Without it, gut-feel decisions, overlooked red flags, and charisma-over-capability hires become the norm.

Eight Common Mistakes Companies Make When Hiring the Right Salespeople

1. Hiring on Personality, Not Performance

   By definition, salespeople tend to be outgoing, gregarious, high-energy personalities. They are drawn to sales because they are naturally persuasive and easily connect with

   people. At the very least, they should be likable. Many companies get swayed by

   personality traits, including charisma, confidence, or likability, in interviews. While these

   traits are valuable in sales, they don't guarantee success. A candidate might “interview

   well” but fail to execute in the field.

   
   

   There was a time when these attributes were considered to be more valuable, but not

   anymore. The idea that a salesperson can “charm” their way to success is outdated.

   Consumers are not interested in being “wowed,” but rather in finding a competent guide to help them make a purchase.

   
   

2. Lack of a Defined Process for Hiring the Right Salespeople

   Without a consistent process—including structured interviews, skill assessments, and

   reference checks—decisions become subjective and error-prone. This increases the

   chance of hiring based on instinct rather than evidence. Simply put, most hiring managers are winging it. They tend to engage in conversations

   to “see where it goes,” and trust their gut. This typically ends with a hiring decision

   that is based on personality alone.
   

3. Over-weighting Industry Experience

   One of the most consistent mistakes I see companies make is that they often overvalue

   industry experience and undervalue core selling skills. They place too much emphasis

   on the sales rep having sold a similar product or service or sold to a common customer

   base. Just because someone knows the space doesn’t mean they can prospect, qualify,

   present value, or close effectively.
   

4. Failing to Define the Role

   Companies that have not engaged in building the foundational elements we outlined

   earlier are prone to make this mistake. A business owner's eagerness to hire someone

   else to go make sales can often short-circuit this process. Sales reps are hired and

   turned loose to generate revenue without a clearly defined plan of attack.
   

   Vague expectations around territory, responsibilities, or success metrics can lead to

   mismatched hires. If the salesperson doesn’t know what’s expected—or if expectations

   shift post-hire—performance and morale suffer. Not only does this lead to increased

   sales costs, but it can also lead to high turnover among your sales team. Salespeople will perform better when the expectations and responsibilities are clearly defined.
   

5. Ignoring Cultural Fit

   I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a CEO/Business owner tell me that they want

   to hire a “red-meat-eating, no excuses, take no prisoners, closer” for their sales team. If

   they are lucky enough (actually, unlucky enough) to find one, these types of salespeople

   can be the most disruptive and difficult to manage. The “lone wolf” salesperson can

   wreak havoc within your organization and is likely to poison the culture of your existing

   sales team.
   

   A salesperson may have the right skills, but if they don’t align with your company’s

   values, work style, or team dynamics, friction, and turnover are likely.
   

6. Skipping Sales-Specific Assessments

   Companies often rely solely on resumes and interviews rather than using sales-specific

   assessments or role-play exercises to evaluate real selling ability. Sales assessments are valuable tools that provide objective feedback on your candidate. At the very least, they validate your decision. However, in some cases, they can keep you from making a very costly bad hiring decision.
   

7. Neglecting Onboarding

   Companies that lack a structured hiring process are almost guaranteed to fail in the onboarding process. Hiring the right person is just the beginning. Without a strong onboarding process—including product training, sales messaging, and CRM

   workflows—even great hires can struggle to gain traction.
   

   This is why it’s so important to have your Sales Playbook built before hiring a

   salesperson. Your Sales Playbook is your blueprint for success.
   

8. Expecting Quick Wins Without Support

   Hiring a salesperson is an investment in the future of your business. Some companies

   expect new hires to perform instantly without leads, training, or tools. This "sink or

   swim" approach often sets even high-potential reps up for failure.
   

   Don’t throw your money away by having a careless, disorganized approach to hiring a

   salesperson. I’ve met too many business leaders who were so anxious to hire a

   salesperson so that they could focus on “running their business. This haphazard

   approach always leads to wasted time and money, and in most cases, tends to pull

   businesses backward instead of propelling them forward.
   

   Hiring the right salesperson takes more than gut instinct or a polished interview

   performance. Common mistakes—like prioritizing personality over proven skills,

   skipping structured assessments, or neglecting onboarding—can lead to costly misfires.

   By building a defined, disciplined hiring process that evaluates both skill and fit, you set

   your sales team up for long-term success.
   

Hiring the right salesperson takes more than instinct. By embedding a disciplined sales hiring process—one that evaluates skill, fit, and onboarding readiness—you protect your revenue engine and set the team up for long-term success. Ready to tighten your approach? Audit your current process for gaps, and let’s design a system that attracts, evaluates, and retains top performers.