Because there are an astonishing 20 million Americans with sales experience, it’s crucial for sales recruiters to pick the perfect man or woman for the job. If you’re looking to fill sales jobs, then here are three warning signs to watch out for.

A Good Sales Person Casts A Wide Net, A Bad Sales Person…

Despite what you might expect, research shows that sales people follow up on just 20% of their sales leads. And since 63% of the people who inquire about your product or service will take at least three months to make a purchase, you need salesmen and women who will stick with leads over time. Sometimes, it can even take an entire year to close a first sale with a new customer.

Ask potential salesmen and women about creative ways they’ve reached out to clients new and old in the past.

Is That A Hard No, Or A “Just Not Right Now”?

If a sales candidate doesn’t show persistence in landing a job, odds are they won’t follow up on those challenging leads either. A disturbing study (at least for sales recruiters) found that an amazing 44% of salespeople gave up on a deal after just a single “no”. Of course, there’s a fine line between pushy and persistent, but you need sales people on your team who know how to close.

Ask a candidate: how do you know when to walk away and when to try again later?

Selling Is Social

In the long run, sales people with marketing experience bring in 25% more profits than those without it. Not only that, but almost 80% of the sales people who integrated social media into their sales strategy outsold sales reps who only operated offline. Face to face is crucial, but online contact is too.

Before you hire a candidate, check their social media accounts to see if they utilize their digital networks to the best of their ability. Every company needs an effective social media strategy for their brand, and the same goes for sales people.