Define the sales role before building the sales team.

Inside sales, field sales and channel development involve different working environments. Describe the customer the team will speak to, the product or service they will explain and the stage of the sales conversation they will own.

Include the practical context too. A territory plan, expected travel and the language needed for customer conversations can be as relevant to the brief as previous experience.

Prepare role-relevant questions before reviewing candidates. A discussion about how someone prepares for a customer meeting can be more useful when everyone is given the same scenario and evaluated against the same expectations.

• Customer type and territory responsibilities
• Product knowledge needed at joining
• Communication and follow-up expectations
• The support and reporting structure available

Confirm who will provide the product briefing, introduce the reporting tools and answer questions from the new team. Give people a clear route for escalating customer issues. Review the assignment after joining so the team and the business can resolve gaps in the original brief.