Questions to Answer Before You Take a Sales Job
Yesterday's post "Can This Sales Career be Saved?" elicited a useful comment from Sales Machine reader "Ray892244" listing some questions you should know the answers to... before you accept a new sales job.
I've taken that basic list and expanded it a bit, and am hoping that the rest of you readers will add to it, so that we can come up with a truly comprehensive list. Here they are:
COMPENSATION:
- What is the base pay, commissions and perks?
- How soon are commissions paid after deals close?
- Is there a ramp period?
- How are commissions handled during that ramp-up period?
- What is the sales process for this company?
- How is the sales process documented?
- What sales process training will be provided, when and from whom?
- What product knowledge training will I receive, when and from whom?
- What is the typical sales cycle and how long does it take?
- What sales tools will be provided?
- What marketing materials will be provided?
- What sales technology is available?
- Does the company provide computers and/or cell phones?
- How are prospects identified?
- What percentage of your sales comes from customer referrals?
- What role does marketing play in lead generation?
- When a customer is dissatisfied, how is that handled?
- What are your expectations of your sales people?
- How and when do you communicate with your sales people regarding their performance?
- What kind of coaching can sales people expect from management?
- How frequent are sales meetings and what happens at them?
READERS: What other questions should be asked (or answered)? As good ones come in, I'll update this list.