3 Tips for Hiring Sales & Marketing Professionals for B2C & B2B Businesses

Credit: Style My Soul, www.stylemysoul.com | Business Tips

Style My Soul Explores — What type of experience and credentials do you seek when hiring sales candidates to manage e-Commerce, brick and mortar, and private businesses? Why?

Here are three credentials to seek out in e-commerce sales candidates:

• Flexibility and Fast Learning Skills
• Ability to Do Cold Outreaches
• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing or Equivalent

Flexibility and Fast Learning Skills
In a person for such a position, I primarily look for flexibility and the ability to learn quickly. The person should also have interdisciplinary knowledge. E-commerce managers must be characterized by high communication skills, self-reliance, and show initiative in action, but also have the ability to work in a team. This is a very dynamic job, and it is wrong to think that mastering a few programs is enough.

✒​ Natalia Brzezinska, PhotoAiD
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Ability to Do Cold Outreaches
The job of a salesperson is highly interactive. It is important to know and appreciate that not all candidates seeking the job will be comfortable with this. At worst, an e-Commerce business will require the person to do cold outreaches; calling, messaging, emailing and pitching depending on the nature of the business. Cold outreaches can be the most awkward and uncomfortable especially for introverts. This question is therefore very necessary so that as the candidate takes the job, they know exactly what they are signing in to. An honest candidate who is not comfortable with that will let you know. If there is another more reserved role in the sales department they will be assigned. If not, then it will be mutually agreed that they are not the best fit for the role for that company.

✒​ Leah Wanjiku Gathoni, NearbyMovers
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Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing Or Equivalent
Management is one of the most difficult tasks because it is not just confined to linear activities but also will mostly present unexpected circumstances that would compel managers to improvise. We are looking for candidates that have a degree in marketing, business administration, or any equivalent. We are also looking for someone with a proven track record and who talks more about figures rather than abstract claims. We prefer someone with an MBA and 3–5 years of sales experience. All of these backgrounds, skills, and experiences are qualifications so that they can do their roles meritoriously and are also flexible enough to be capable of improvising approaches and processes when push comes to shove. Some of their duties as sales managers of e-Commerce and etc. are setting sales goals, monitoring quotas, crafting sales plans, overseeing training, being involved with key accounts, analyzing data based on the result of teams and individuals, and capable of presenting reports when needed.
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✒​ Franceen San Andres, CocoLoan