Skills and qualities

Good salespeople tend to have a number of qualities in common. “Buckets of enthusiasm are essential in a salesperson, together with a massively positive outlook – the glass must always be half full,” stresses Thorp.

“You need someone who is instantly likeable and good at building relationships and persuading people round to their point of view,” he continues. “Salespeople also need to be problem solvers. They have to be able to listen to clients’ needs and address them.

“You don’t want someone who is too pushy, or does not match the client to the product or service, or who looks no further than one sale.”

It's essential any new recruit understands your particular sales strategy. The person who excels at one-off sales, for example, will not necessarily have the patience to build long-term relationships with valued customers.

Sector knowledge and industry contacts are also desirable, since these will allow a new recruit to step into the role quickly and confidently.