Ten steps to your next rep: Print21 magazine article

Everybody wants more sales but finding the right person to get them for you often requires more luck than skill. James Cryer of JDA Print Recruitment explains how to steer your way through the hazards and heartache of selecting and appointing a new sales rep. Assuming, of course, that you need one …

In my many years in recruitment observing the passing-parade of humanity, I have come to one immutable conclusion – apart from the fact that we’re all different. And that is, there is almost no guaranteed predictor of success when it comes to print sales reps.

I’ve seen good ones fail and doubtful ones succeed. I’ve seen the most unlikely applicants surprise everyone, and I’ve observed ‘proven’ performers struggle to attain target. I’ve seen applicants with very little or no print background do well, and I’ve been surprised to note some industry stalwarts with impeccable technical qualifications who ‘fail to proceed’.

On the flipside of the coin, I’ve also seen wide differences in the levels of support and assistance provided by the host company to the new incumbent. And I’ve also observed different levels of impatience for the new sales rep to ‘perform’. But if you wish to compare print sales reps with two-year old toddlers (and there are strong grounds upon which to make that comparison), the more you try to cajole or pressure them, the less likely they are to do what you want them to do.

And it gets worse. There are no quick fixes, just as in the quest to make gold out of lead (we’ve tried horse-whipping, with only mixed results). Certainly, the popular resort to a ‘high commission/low base’ package has no basis for success as it simply transmits to the new rep the feeling that the employer either doesn’t have the cash or doesn’t expect it to work anyway – or both.

If one can apportion blame (which is difficult but I’ll do it anyway), the fault is probably 50/50 between the company and the candidate. The company is too impatient (for results) and the candidate has over-stated their abilities.

Look who’s lurking
So what to do?

First you should check that your new rep is not lurking somewhere within your own company. Eh? What about that bright young receptionist who knows more about your customers than you do? What about that smart young printer on the press who always wins clients over during press-checks?

OK, so you’ve got none of those lying around, but before employing a new rep - assuming that you have established the case beyond reasonable doubt that you do need one - the following checklist should be adopted (still with NO guarantee of success!):

1. Don’t stipulate that the candidate ‘must have an established client base …’ – and don’t be dazzled by a sales rep who claims to have the proverbial wheelbarrow load of clients in their back pocket (or elsewhere).
2. Don’t insist that they must have had three/five years selling print, although it’s helpful if they’ve sold something or been in the printing industry – but either one should suffice, not necessarily both.
3. In the battle between ‘hi-base/lo-comm’ or ‘lo-base/hi-comm’, there is no perfect answer, but I’d err towards the former. Even though it may be more painful initially, it engenders trust – which is what you want, I assume.
4. Try and seek agreement on mutually-acceptable targets over three, six and twelve months before they start, not two months down the track as often happens. If you can’t reach consensus, maybe there’s a message there – don’t hire.
5. Allocate a budget – before hiring – as to what this may cost (in terms of base, super, car allowance, the need to create new marketing collateral, etc) and ask yourself: can you afford to do without that money if sales don’t come flooding in?
6. During the interview, put yourself in the role of print buyer. How do they come across? Would you buy print from this person? We’re all just humans after all, and we prefer dealing with people we like and trust – it’s not rocket science.
7. During the post-interview process, do some discrete reference-checking - not just those the candidate has listed – and, if possible, get the candidate to meet, informally, a number of your fellow staff members.
8. One of the best ‘secrets of success’ is that a sales rep should feel appreciated, wanted and recognised as part of the team. I know they’re pathetic individuals but you got to make 'em feel loved – even though it goes against the grain!
9. Forget psych tests and other artificial props but do listen to your inner voice (or ‘gut instinct’ if you prefer the more sophisticated definition).
10. Finally, have a clear vision of what you can offer the rep in terms of support – training, technical expertise, product range, promotional material, fast quote-turnaround – or all the above. In other words, you should be able to answer the question: why would a sales rep work for your company (as opposed to your competitor)?

Having done all that, and if you still can’t be persuaded that pouring money ‘down the sink’ may be an equally rewarding experience, and you’ve explored all other avenues (maybe you don’t need more sales, just better margins?) then in all conscience you can honestly say you’ve done everything that was humanly possible. In which case … it might just work.

Employing a sales rep is like having kids – there’s no guarantee of success. All you can do is your best and hope they’ll grow up to be a worthwhile citizen. The sales rep that is.