How to Hire, Onboard, and Compensate Salespeople Effectively

Dec 20, 2024 | Listen

Aleasha Bahr and Kathy Svetina discuss how to hire, onboard, and compensate salespeople successfully in the latest Help, My Business is Growing! episode.

Building and managing successful sales teams is central to business growth, but it’s not as easy to do as it sounds. Boosting revenue through stronger sales performance is possible in your business but only if you know how to hire, onboard, and compensate salespeople effectively.

When businesses miss these basics, it shows – high turnover drains resources, poorly trained teams miss targets, and misaligned salary or commission structures lead to lost opportunities and lower profits. The good news? There’s a clear framework for success. But first, you need to know – What really works in identifying and attracting top sales talent? 

Which onboarding practices lead to faster results? 

And how do you structure compensation that motivates performance while protecting your profitability?

Aleasha Bahr:  Sales strategist and founder

In this episode, Aleasha and I discuss the key steps to building and managing a winning sales team. From identifying the right candidates to creating onboarding processes that set them up for success, she shares practical tips for avoiding costly mistakes. Plus, we explore how to hire, onboard, and compensate salespeople effectively to boost your bottom line.



Timestamps for this week’s episode

02:34 What’s broken in sales hiring?

04:21 Why experience alone isn’t enough for sales success

11:08 What goes into an effective sales strategy?

23:51 Red and green flags when hiring salespeople

33:36 Actionable next steps to take to develop a strong sales strategy


“There’s a difference between sales strategy and sales skills, and they get confused a lot. To figure out how to position your offers is a different skill set than taking a strategy and running with it.” – Aleasha Bahr

What’s broken in sales hiring?

Salesperson recruitment often operates on a flawed “sink or swim” philosophy. Many companies don’t hire, onboard, and compensate salespeople effectively and simply go into it without any structured support. This approach assumes the best talent will naturally succeed, but even top performers need proper guidance and a clear sales strategy to thrive. Unlike roles such as HR or project management, where onboarding is standard, sales teams are frequently left to struggle through scattered materials and unclear expectations. This leads to high turnover and wasted potential. But if you invest in a structured process that can guarantee you hire, onboard, and compensate salespeople effectively while providing ongoing support, you’ll create a sales team culture that nurtures talent and drives long-term success for your business.

Your sales strategy - are the words your sales people are saying in the conversation with the prospect. - Aleasha Bahr Understanding how to hire, onboard, and compensate salespeople effectively ensures they deliver the right message and drive results.

Why experience alone isn’t enough for sales success

Experience alone doesn’t guarantee sales success because every client and sales scenario is different. Relying on ad-hoc methods, like having new hires shadow top performers, might seem convenient, but it often leaves salespeople overwhelmed and unprepared. Without a clear sales strategy in place, they’re left guessing, which leads to inconsistent results and unnecessary frustration.

The solution is to create a structured framework that gives your team the tools they need to succeed. This includes all your value propositions and differentiators, client testimonials, and other operational insights tailored to your business. Providing these resources from the start builds their confidence, sets realistic goals, and helps retain your top performers.

It’s not experience alone that drives success—it’s a system that supports long-term growth in every sales conversation. A strong strategy turns guesswork into confidence, so your team can deliver consistent and impactful results.

“Your sales people do not need to be experts (in your products)….What they do need to be an expert in is their prospects – what is important to the clients, what are their biggest concerns, challenges and their mindset.” – Aleasha Bahr

What goes into an effective sales strategy?

A strong sales strategy focuses on connecting your offer to the prospect’s specific needs and goals. It involves asking insightful questions that reveal pain points and helps them clearly understand how your solution fits into their success.

For example, instead of saying, “We sell high-quality meats,” you could position them as “client gifts that leave lasting impressions and strengthen loyalty.” Questions like, “What’s the lifetime value of your clients? How do you currently foster loyalty? What if your gifts could create a memorable experience?” (by giving them high-quality meat) –  shift the focus to meaningful outcomes like stronger relationships of the client with whoever will receive the gifts. This looking beyond the face value of your offer will improve conversions and retention in the long run.

By framing the conversation thoughtfully, you guide the prospect toward recognizing the value of your solution as a vital part of their success.

Once your sales team is part of creating a sales strategy with you, they're going to be more likely to implement it. - Aleasha Bahr

Red and green flags when hiring salespeople

When hiring salespeople, look for signs of collaboration, curiosity, and empathy. Candidates who talk about working well in a team, improving client outcomes, or their commitment to growing their skills often stand out as strong fits for modern sales environments. Green flags include sharing how their work directly benefited clients or contributed to a team’s success—showing they care about more than just closing deals.

But don’t ignore the red flags. A “lone wolf” mindset, an overemphasis on personal achievements, or dismissing important tasks like CRM updates are warning signs. Salespeople who rely solely on charm, without showing real curiosity or care for client needs, often struggle to succeed in today’s relationship-based sales world.

Businesses that hire, onboard, and compensate salespeople effectively focus on long-term potential over short-term wins, locking in sustainable growth.

“Ask potential sales hires ‘what is your sales style?’ – I’m really hoping that they mention curiosity and empathy because if you can’t be curious, you’re going to miss a lot of sales.” – Aleasha Bahr

Actionable next steps to take to develop a strong sales strategy

Start by collecting and centralizing information about your offer and target audience. Whether using Google Drive or another system, create a dossier on your audience, their goals, concerns, and challenges. Then, build out a structured approach to hire, onboard, and compensate salespeople effectively, ensuring they have the tools to succeed from day one.


Summary

  • Many companies rely on a “sink or swim” approach to hiring salespeople, but clear onboarding and ongoing support are essential for long-term success.

  • Experience alone isn’t enough for consistent sales results—salespeople need a clear framework to guide their efforts.

  • Positioning your solution around client goals and needs reveals its real value and drives stronger outcomes.

  • Look for sales candidates who show curiosity, empathy, and collaboration while avoiding lone-wolf mentalities.

  • Centralize key details about your audience and your offers to create a clear foundation for your sales strategy.

Transcript

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About guest – Aleasha Bahr

Sales Strategist and Founder

Black Sheep Sales Method

Aleasha Bahr is a sales strategist, speaker, best-selling author, and founder of the Black Sheep Sales Method™. Because if it’s a fit, it’s a fact and there’s no selling involved. She has 15 years of experience customizing sales strategies to your personality, audience, and service (because sales is not a one-size-fits-all!) 

Her methods empower business owners to effortlessly convert up to 80% of their leads without pressure, pitching or pretending to be someone else. Aleasha’s signature Black Sheep Sales Method is based on 15+ years of sales experience, tens of millions of dollars in services personally sold herself and sold by service providers she’s supported. She has been featured on Rocky Mountain Marketing Podcast, Sales Game Changers, Business Innovators Radio, and Outside Sales Talk. Aleasha is also the host of the “Sales Is Not A Dirty Word”  podcast.

Website: http://www.aleashabahr.com/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleashabahr

Black Sheep Sales Method™: https://aleashabahr.com/blacksheep/

Podcast:  Sales Is Not A Dirty Word 


About host – Kathy Svetina

Kathy Svetina is a Fractional CFO for growing small businesses with $10M+ in annual revenue.

Clients hire her when they’re unsure about what’s going on in their finances, are stressed out by making financial decisions, or need to structure their finances to keep up with their growth.

She solves their nagging money mysteries and builds a financial structure with a tailored financial strategy. That way they can grow in a financially healthy and sustainable way.

Kathy is based in Chicago, IL and works with clients all over the US.

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