Hiring the wrong salesperson can be one of the costliest mistakes your business makes. Imagine onboarding a "sales rockstar" who aces the interview, but fails to deliver once they're in the field. Sound familiar? You might have just been sold… on the wrong person.
In this post, we break down the two critical steps to building a bulletproof sales hiring process that filters out professional interviewers and ensures you're only bringing top talent onto your team.
The Cost of a Bad Sales Hire
Mis-hires in sales can cost 3–5 times the employee’s annual salary. Beyond the financial impact, a poor hire can damage team morale, erode client trust, and stall your revenue engine.
So, how can you protect your business?
Step 1: Create a Clear Job Profile
Before you even begin interviewing, you need to define what success looks like in the role. Ask yourself:
Is this role focused on hunting (new business) or farming (account management)?
What’s the length of the sales cycle?
Who are they selling to—executives, procurement agents, or small business owners?
What’s the deal size and sales process complexity?
If you skip this step, everyone you interview will look like a star, but they might be completely unqualified for the role you’re hiring.
Step 2: Define Your Candidate Profile Using the S.E.A.R.C.H. Framework
Once you’ve nailed down the job profile, the next move is to create your ideal candidate profile. At Sandler, we use the S.E.A.R.C.H. acronym to guide this process:
Skills – What specific sales skills must they have?
Experience – Have they worked in similar roles, industries, or deal cycles?
Attitude – What mindset do they bring to the job?
Results – Do they have a proven track record?
Cognitive Skills – How do they process and solve problems?
Habits – What daily behaviors support their success?
Armed with this profile, you can now ask laser-guided interview questions to verify that candidates align with the job—not just talk a good game.
Pro Tip: Don’t Get Smoked in the Interview
Some salespeople are experts at selling themselves in interviews. Without a structured process, you risk hiring someone who impressed you in the room but falls flat in the real world.
By implementing a disciplined, two-part hiring process, you dramatically improve your chances of hiring a top-performing salesperson.
Ready to Build a Rockstar Sales Team?
Stop gambling with your hiring decisions. Create a job profile. Build a candidate profile. Use S.E.A.R.C.H. And most importantly—don’t get smoked.
Bonus Sandler Resource: 100 Great Sandler Questions. Download now to take charge of your next conversation by asking the right questions at the right time.
If you liked this and want more Sandler tips, book a strategy session with me: calendly.com/justine-tindall/30min