Every two weeks, FCNews seeks out flooring retailers across the country to offer their advice on hot topics of the day. This week, we asked: What do you look for when hiring a sales associate?
Here are their responses:
“For potential new sales associates, industry experience is generally a plus, but we need to dive into why they want to leave or have left, how they were trained and their current habits. It is sometimes harder to retrain a flooring salesperson than to train a new person to our industry. I look for previous sales experience—not necessarily in our industry—along with personality, energy and the need/desire to make more money.”
—Bob Gaither, Quality Carpet & Flooring, Akron, Ohio
“Someone who is a team player, has an upbeat attitude and the business in their best interest. If the company is successful, they will be successful. It’s the trickle-down effect.”
—Ashlie Butler, Bob’s Carpet & Flooring Tampa, Fla.
“One of the things I look for is a pleasant face; a person with an easy smile that creates a comfortable engagement right off the bat. If a candidate has those qualities, they usually have a good personality. Following that is at least some industry experience, which is always a plus when choosing.”
—Steve Weisberg, Crest Flooring Allentown, Pa.
“I look for a hard-working person in any service industry that relates well with customers. I would rather train from the ground up and teach them our system. Last but not least, they need to be a team player that fits our culture.”
—Bill Huss, D&M Interiors Appleton, Wis.
“I look for longevity with their career as well as any type of sales experience. Flooring experience is helpful but not as important to me. In an interview, I want someone with self-confidence that is genuine, friendly and professional. I then ask myself: “Would I buy something from this person?”
—John Bretzloff, Barefoot Flooring Castle Hayne, N.C.
