When building a sales organization and/or team, not everyone needs to be, nor should be homogeneous. Rather, different personality characteristics and skills can actually add to the greater whole. If a company knows what they value based on a well-thought out mission statement, there’s an inherent compass guiding the hiring process.
For instance, if ethics is important, then of course a hiring manager wouldn’t want to deviate at all from that common thread among potential candidates and sales team members. You know the old saying, “One bad apple…” that holds true for any department building a team, though possibly even more so when building a well-oiled sales organization.
In fact, this is essential when hiring a Senior Vice President or Business Development Representative; as an organization shouldn’t deviate from their core mission. Remember, the sales team will be the face of the organization on the phone and in the field as a company builds brand recognition/awareness and face-to-face relationships with potential clients.
Okay, back to my larger point, varying strengths and personality characteristics within a Business Development team and/or Enterprise Sales team can lead to positive outcomes. Each individual can help where the other is slightly lacking…”slightly lacking” is all I’m trying to convey here, not major skill level variances that could weigh a team down and cause dysfunction.
In summary, what might appear to be an “ideal” candidate on paper, may well not be the “right fit” for the larger team. It’s imperative hiring managers practice the art of team building.