Thinking about building a sales team?
Whether it’s remote or in-house, this article will provide valuable tips for building an effective sales team that gets results.
If you’re planning on building a remote sales team, in particular, all you need is a laptop, fast internet, and a group of people who are driven to sell.
With an in-house sales team, you would need office space, equipment, AND people who are driven to sell.
Luckily, we learned from the best, and had an interview with Greg Mccallum, the Co-founder & CEO @ Peer.
This article will share his expert tips on how to build a sales team the right way.
(Feel free to listen to the interview below. We also suggest reading this article: B2B Lead Generation Outsourcing or In-house- Which is Best? Before you decide to set up an in-house sales team.)
Step 1: Use different platforms to recruit
Often, many founders or sales managers keep an eye out on job boards to find employees. They might think of only using one specific platform, like LinkedIn, for example.
But remember that there are so many platforms out there to find sales development representatives for your company. You need to interact with a large number of different platforms to find the right kind of people.
The example that Greg McCallum gave us in the podcast was that he found people in his local classifieds to hire. It might seem like a random place to look for employees, but it worked.
Another tip that he gives in the interview is to look at Facebook job seeker groups in your local area.
Therefore, if you have a recruiter for your business, get the word out that you are looking to hire someone for a sales position. Place the ad on as many platforms as you can to find new hires.
The reason?
Talent is out there; it just needs to be found.
Step 2: Filter through potential sales reps
Now that you have gotten the word out there, you will probably receive hundreds of job applicants.
The big question is, how do you filter through all the prospects to find the right person during the onboarding process?
The truth is that some people might not have even read the entire job description, some might not have the correct qualifications, and others are just not worth the time to investigate.
How would the hiring process work?
Luckily, many platforms have built-in tools that help you find the right people via a filtering process.
For example, Indeed.com has an assessment feature where you can test the skills of potential candidates.
Besides these skills tests, Indeed.com also has a call feature where the candidates can answer recorded questions, and then the answers are saved, which you, as the business owner or recruiter, can listen to.
There are many helpful tools out there that can help you narrow down your list of potential candidates.
Here are some assessment tools that you can consider using when trying to filter through potential employees:
Aspiring Minds
Aspiring Minds offers a wide variety of assessment tests, including cognitive ability, personality, job simulation, sales ability, and more.
Berke Assessment
The Berke Assessments offer customizable tests that measure personality and intelligence.
You can also build “hiring profiles” – lists of desirable behavioral traits and problem-solving abilities – and compare each candidate’s results against them.
OMG
If you are specifically looking for sales representatives, then using OMG is for you.
I t is a well-known tool for sales assessment OMG offers assessments for a variety of sales candidates, including Salespeople , Sales Managers , and VP of Sales .
One last thing that would be wise to remember is to personalize questions for the candidates.
It can get boring asking the exact same questions, so once you have your top 10 job candidates, dig a little deeper and ask questions specific to them as individuals.
Step 3: Start with immediate sales training
So once you have found the right sales professionals, you must begin with training from the word “go”.
Especially when it comes to a remote sales team.
It’s important to make them feel part of the team.
From the start, get your new recruits to work.
Throw them into the entire sales process from the beginning because that’s what they want to do… learn.
Step 4: Provide an exciting company culture (to ensure talent retention)
To make sure that you are getting your new sales team part of your business, ask yourself these questions and then tick off the boxes during the onboarding process :
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Are we demonstrating our company culture?
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Are we demonstrating our sales process?
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Are we demonstrating expectations?
It’s also important to get feedback from your new employees from the get-go, as this helps them feel part of the team.
Getting on an early call and discussing sales operations, workflow, and even templates, helps new recruits set up sales goals, and feel part of the company culture.
(Role-playing exercises can also help boost the confidence of new hires.)
You could ask them:
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“What do they think of specific copy that was used in an email or on social media?”
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“What do they think of an ad that was done by the marketing team ?”
These questions help with team building and motivation.
And as a sales leader, you can gauge how your employees are doing.
Besides this, having a fresh pair of eyes on things that are going on in your business is important for growth.
What happens if you realize you made a bad hire?
Usually, within the first week, you can tell if someone is not cut out for the role. Check out your key performance indicators and see how your teams are doing.
(It is a little more challenging to see which SDRs are not performing as well because if they are in teams, it can be easy to “piggyback” off the others, but in time, you will know who is a keeper and who is not. )
If you have made a few poor choices in hiring, that’s ok. All it means is that you need to refine the recruitment process.
NOTE: If you do not find the right person, don’t just hire anyone. Wait for the right candidate to come along.
Invest in the following tools for your sales process to run smoothly
As with all professions, you will need the right kind of tools to get your virtual office up and running.
Some of the best tech also integrates with other CRM tools, such as HubSpot and Salesforce.
Before you build a strong sales team, make sure that you have these tools handy:
Here are some sales tools that you might want to check out, too:
1. HubSpot
2. Pipedrive
4. Zoho (cloud software suite and SaaS applications)
You can check out many more, but these are some of the top tools that enhance sales organization between teams.
What are the pros of having a remote sales team?
Besides this, there are many positives to having remote employees.
From employees enjoying 80% less stress and wasting time in traffic to business owners not having to waste money on renting a building or office furniture and equipment.
Example: Some small business founders have used the money they would put into renting office space for “treats” or “perks” for their employees.
This then results in happier team members. Metrics show that this leads to less churn in the business.
Take a look at some more positives of remote work:
- Working from home half the week can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 54 million tons every year. (Global Workspace Analytics)
- 32% of workers said the biggest benefit of working remotely is the ability to have a flexible schedule, 26% stated the ability to work from anywhere, 21% was not having to commute, and 11% spent time with family. (Buffer)
- Companies that encourage remote work in the U.S have a 25% lower employee turnover than those that don’t. (Owl Labs)
What are the pros of having an in-house sales team
Building an in-house sales team instead of a remote one also has its advantages.
First, in-house teams work together in the same space, making communication and collaboration easier. This helps them share ideas quickly and solve problems faster.
Second, managers can provide direct support and training, ensuring that the team stays motivated and that everyone knows what the company goals are at all times. Lastly, an in-house team helps build a strong company culture, leading to better teamwork and success.
While remote teams offer flexibility, having a sales team in the office can lead to stronger relationships and better performance.
Frequently asked questions about building a sales team
How do I identify the right candidates for my sales team?
During your hiring process, look out for candidates who are friendly, confident, and good at talking to others. Sales is all about communication, so they should be able to build relationships easily.
Check their past experience—have they worked in sales before? Even if they haven’t, see if they have skills that match, like customer service or negotiation. Also, consider their attitude. Someone eager to learn and grow is often a great choice.
But also go with your gut instinct. Once, I read a post on LinkedIn that showed how a certain candidate came highly recommended.
The candidate was so nervous that they floundered through the interview, but the recruiter knew that this person had a perfect skill set and came highly recommended. Even though they didn’t do well in the interview, her gut was telling her that this person was the right fit.
So she made the hire.
Fast-forward 6 months, and this candidate was by far the best hire and best performer. Not to say that this is always the case, but sometimes there are exceptions to the rules.
What are the key qualities to look for when hiring sales team members?
Great salespeople are good listeners—they understand what customers need before making a pitch. They understand their pain points and are concerned about making their clients lives better.
Not just about making the sale.
They also shouldn’t give up when facing rejection. So they need a certain kind of grit. Confidence is key, but they shouldn’t be pushy. Finally, look for self-motivated people who take initiative without needing constant supervision.
How can I train my sales team effectively to enhance their performance?
You might want to start with product training—they need to know what they’re selling inside and out. Then, practice sales calls and role-playing exercises to help them get comfortable handling objections.
Teach them how to listen to customers instead of just focusing on making a sale. Lastly, give regular feedback and provide learning opportunities so they keep improving.
How do I motivate and incentivize my sales team to drive results?
Don’t be shy to recognize their hard work!
If a sales rep is crushing it, let them know. Offer bonuses or commissions for hitting targets.
Even small rewards, like gift cards or public recognition, can go a long way. Make sure they feel valued by celebrating wins and encouraging teamwork.
Also, check in regularly to understand their challenges and offer support. When people feel appreciated, they perform better!
What strategies can I use to monitor and measure the success of my sales team?
Track lead generation metrics like sales closed, calls made, positive reply rates, cost per leads, and customer lifetime value.
Use a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool to keep an eye on progress. Meet with your team weekly to review performance and set goals. But don’t just focus on numbers—also look at their effort, attitude, and how well they build relationships with customers.
How do I constructively handle underperforming team members?
First, talk to them privately and understand what the issue is from their side—are they struggling with product knowledge, motivation, or something personal? Offer coaching and extra training if needed.
Set small, achievable goals to help them improve. If things don’t get better, be clear about expectations and consequences, but always be supportive.
A good leader helps their team grow instead of just pointing out mistakes.
Quick recap
Step 1: Use different platforms to recruit
Step 2: Filter through potential sales reps
Step 3: Start with immediate sales training
Step 4: Provide an exciting company culture (to ensure talent retention)
If setting up a sales team feels stressful initially, no worries; we can help.
We have over a decade of sales prospecting experience and guarantee one lead a day for our clients. The best part?
At the end of our journey together, we will share all that we have done for your business, allowing you to start your own in-house sales team once our partnership has ended.
Hop on a free 15-minute strategy session below to see how we can help you land more sales.
