salespeople

Good salespeople are a major asset to any business. Yet they are few and far between – research by

sales performance improvement company Silent Edge suggests that UK sales underperform. Tom Whitney finds out how to identify and recruit good sales specialists.

“First-rate salespeople are focused and can target potential customers effectively,” says David Thorp, director of research and information for the Chartered Institute of Marketing. “They understand which customers have the money, authority and need to buy from them.

“They also build strong relationships with customers, which is key to customer retention,” he continues. “It's worth investing the time and the money in getting good staff, as they will be able to add much more to an organisation’s bottom line than poor sales staff, who can be a liability.”