Direct Sales Recruiting

Direct Sales is Not for Everyone

As a result of the changing economic landscape and growing lack of job security in the U.S., more and more people are turning to direct selling as a viable alternative to a day job. In 2008, direct retail sales in the U.S. contributed $29.6 billion in revenue. Despite the economic recession, the direct retail sales industry has not shrunk in the last several years, from 2004 to present.

Simply put, direct selling occurs when sales representatives sell and market products directly to consumers. Sales reps can rely on face-to-face selling (i.e., in the home or a temporary location), remote selling via the phone or Internet, or automatic shipping to their customers. Avon and Mary Kay Cosmetics are just two examples of direct sales companies. While direct sales is a great alternate source of revenue, not everyone will be successful. Recruiters and hiring managers who conduct direct sales recruiting processes should look for the following types of people:

Direct Sales Representatives Must Be Customer Oriented

Providing excellent customer service will always be – and should always be – one of the top priorities of any company, direct sales or not. In order to provide superb customer service, hiring managers involved in the process of direct sales recruiting need to find employees that fit the company culture and are committed to serving the company’s mission. Unfortunately, not all employees are a good fit with every company, and not all employees are customer oriented. However, it is absolutely crucial that direct sales representatives be customer oriented because they need to build long term relationships with their customers in order to successful sell their products. Thus, customer service skills are crucial for those working in this industry.

Direct Sales Representatives Must Be Entrepreneurial

Although direct sales representatives work on behalf of a larger company, they are in many ways their own boss. Direct sales representatives are in charge of making their own decisions and setting their own hours and schedules, and they are ultimately in control of their own success. They must embody an entrepreneurial spirit. If they don’t work hard, they don’t make money. They must be willing to put in long hours when necessary. Most of all, sales representatives need to be flexible and ready to adapt to the ever-changing retail environment.

Direct Sales Representatives Must Be Social

The most successful salespeople are those that can charm their way out of any situation. This is one of those special skills that some people are just born with; most of the time, it cannot be learned. Since direct selling requires sales representatives to talk about their products at length, communicate the benefits of the products to customers, and ultimately persuade prospective customers to buy the product, sales reps must be social. Anti-social people should not work in the direct sales industry, because they won’t be successful. The most successful salespeople are the ones that aggressively sell their products and don’t back down until they secure a sale.

Recruiters and hiring managers recruiting direct sales candidates should look for people that are customer-oriented, entrepreneurial, and social. Successfully identifying these key traits in a prospective candidate is the first step toward hiring the next top direct sales rep in your company.