The Top 5: Ways to Prove Your Sales Rep Cred

Tips from the trenches to keep your copier career on track

Prepare to Prove Yourself

As we enter the last quarter of 2018, it’s a good time to assess your performance and progress towards completing this year’s goals. This not only helps keep you on track to finish strong, it also prepares you for interviewing for your next big opportunity.

Every candidate needs to show their potential value during the interview process. This month, we’ll be focusing on how to demonstrate your sales rep cred:

1. Know Your Compensation:

• What was your yearly base salary when you first started your position, what is it now? Show how you’ve grown in your roll.
• What was your overall compensation (base salary plus commission) for the past few years? Demonstrate a pattern of success.

2. Understand Your Commission Breakdown

Every company handles commission differently so in order to correctly assess your performance, the interviewer needs to understand your numbers:

• Is your commission paid on Total Revenue, Gross Profit, or a combination? What percentage range(s) for each?
• Do you receive any annuity commissions for MPS/MNS? If so, how much within the last full year?

3. Know Your Quota History

• What was your quota when you started your position (after the ramp-up period), what is it now? Show how your responsibility has increased.
• Do you have separate quota goals for different product types (i.e. hardware vs. solutions)? Demonstrate that your sales strengths align with the interviewer’s product line.
• What was your highest monthly quota achievement percentage? What was your highest yearly percentage? Talk about your hottest hot-streaks!
• What was your quota achievement for the last full year? Show that your best successes are not in your distant past, that you are still currently achieving or exceeding your goals.

4. Know Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• What is the average number of cold calls you make per week, average appointments completed per week? Show that you keep your nose to the grindstone and can do the work.
• What is your current closing ratio? Demonstrate that your work breeds results, that you can work hard and work smart.
• Have your received any quota bonuses in the last year? Show how you meet your goals and respond to motivation.
• How many net new vs house/warm accounts are in your book of business? Employers are looking for hunters, show them that you can do more than farm existing accounts.

5. Compile Your Records

Sales reps are known for talking a good talk but you need to back up your claims to a potential employer. Gather plenty of proof:

• Quota records
• Stack rankings
• KPI reports
• Achievement awards
• Other forms of special recognition

Copier Careers will be publishing the 2018 Sales Representative Salary Survey at year-end so be sure to check back in December to see how your compensation stacks up!