I'm looking for a salesperson to join my fashion startup. What's the best way to work out if they're a good fit when we need to recruit them ASAP?

where would you need this agent? would they be traveling/giving presentations, outbound calls on the phone, or local b2b sales?

Use Linkedin Search to know about their background in sales and ask them to upload their videos on your site pitching about your product

My brother and sister-in-law are both in the fashion industry, have been for years. Assuming you're selling clothing, all small companies -- even well-financed ones -- start off by partnering with sales showrooms. These folks display your work in their showrooms and bring buyers from the chains, boutiques, etc. Buyers prefer this because it's more efficient for them as they need to consider a lot of product before deciding.

Finding a sales person is not an easy task, especially if it’s your first strictly sales rep. In order to find a good one who is the right sales fit for your company and role – you must define the objectives of the role – is it an outbound role? Will he be cold-calling? Cold-emailing? On the hunt for strategic partnerships? Or will he be working on the in-bound leads and warm leads closing business? Expanding and reaching out to existing client? Etc. Based on your definition of the role, you will be able to assess a sales candidate’s qualifications (background, experience, closing quota, etc) and measure how relevant he might be for the role. Of course the candidate must be passionate about the role, company, and industry – having an unmotivated sales rep will hurt your business… Would recommend reaching out to your 1st degree contacts (via linkedin) who work in sales and ask them for referrals to great sales reps, or search for candidates on AngelList… good luck :)

I suggest if the person you find is the right fit, let them know right away and offer him/her the position. You can always work out the details if the feelings are mutual and he or she is interested in the position.

Having been a buyer for women's, juniors and men's clothing over the years for medium tier department stores (Nordstrom, Broadway Stores), the suggestion that George Calvert gives you is excellent.

Liam,

Here is a webinar which may be of some help. This just landed in my Inbox today, and I don't know the speaker; so, you may want to do a little research on Meryl. I hope this is helpful...And, best of luck finding the right team!

How to Hire a Great Salesperson With Meryl Snow Do you have a good system for vetting potential candidates? Do you ask the right questions to interpret their potential? In this webinar, learn key factors to evaluate a potential candidate to increase your chances of making the perfect hire. May 16 | 12:00 PM (EST) https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4839969203762687234

I can help you sir 😊

This is not an easy task even for large companies. However, as a small company, what's most important can be boiled down to:

1. Do they jive with the rest of the team?

2. Can they deliver results?

I would shape the interview to get an accurate measure to these questions. Additionally, coming off as needy will weaken your negotiating position as an employer.

Know what your company is worth.

Know what you want.

Personally, I believe how they handle rejections and how likely they are to overcome hurdles to achieve consistent sales goals are great measures.

Hope that helped a little.