How Screen Printers Can Know If They Should Hire a Salesperson

WHEN IS THE RIGHT time to hire a salesperson? I liken this dilemma to other situations: When is the right time to get a dog? When is the right time to step away from the shop? When should I add another press? etc. It’s never the right time! Thinking about hiring a salesperson to help your shop grow can be a daunting task. However, it can make a strong positive impact on your shop.

1. Longer Term Goals for the Shop
   Most of us haven’t built a strategy for finding and closing new customers. We’ve relied on current clients and referrals to build our business. In my experience in helping more than 50 shops develop sales strategies, the vast majority bring in outside help when they decide they want to find business. Selling is hard, and even though most shop owners excel in this area, it becomes a backburner item when all the other aspects of the business get in the way. I recommend sitting down and really looking at what you want to accomplish from a revenue and profit perspective in the short and long term. If growing sales aligns to your why and your shop goals, it might be the right time to bring someone in to assist.
2. Economic Environment
   We’re in an interesting economic environment today. Some shops are ripping, and others are starting to slow. As we ease into this usually calmer time of the year, I’m hearing more and more shops starting to focus on what they can do now to prepare for what’s to come. Hiring someone into a small business is never an easy decision, especially when we have some uncertainty pending. In slower times, it can be easier to onboard and train new team members. Ultimately, you can really look at this through two different perspectives:
   1. Let’s hold tight and see what happens.
   2. Let’s own our destiny and get someone in here who can help us weather the impending storm and continue to grow.
3. Do I Have the Right Hiring Process?
   If hiring a salesperson is something that’s top of mind, I challenge you to think about the steps, resources, and process needed to hire the right person. I find too many shops put little time and effort into this area. This person could have a huge impact on your business. If you get the right person, they could help you hit your growth goals and make you quite a bit of money in the process. If you get it wrong, it can cost you a tremendous amount of money. If you want to bring on the right person, it’s critical to invest time in sourcing candidates, create a strong profile of what you’re looking for, and build interview guides and other selection criteria.
4. Do I Feel Confident in Onboarding, Measuring, and Managing This Person?
   Deciding on the right hire is just the first step. You must now onboard them effectively into your organization. What will their first 90 days look like? What will they need to learn? What internal tools and processes will they need to master? Once onboard, how will you manage them? What one-on-one meeting structure will you set up between the two of you? How will their performance be measured? Having all of this set up in advance is going to be crucial to your combined success.



5. What Process/Messaging Will They Use?
   Another area to focus on is the sales process and messaging you’d like for this new salesperson to use. It’s better to have this somewhat baked prior to them starting. I like to share how we’ve been successful in the past, what our clients value in working with us, and what differentiates us from other shops. The new salesperson can definitely add to this and bring their own customization to the message. Getting a new salesperson producing as quickly as possible is key. Providing them with this information in advance can help tremendously.

Timing around adding a salesperson is likely never going to be 100 percent right. That said, a strong seller can make a big impact on any business. If you’re considering bringing someone on, put in the time and effort and invest in it. It will likely pay dividends.