Because many of them have little to no experience, it is difficult to assess whether new graduates will be a good fit for sales positions. While it may be tempting to simply aim for those with proven track records; however, there is plenty of potential on college campuses.

There should not be too much focus places on the academics of field of major when looking at college applicants. After all, many college students end up changing their majors anyway. What’s more important is that students are able to communicate well during their interview. And any qualities that highlight a competitive attitude is something that should impress recruiters. Many times, if a student is involved in sports, a fraternity, or sorority, they will show these qualities.

Listening Habits

Pay attention to the amount of listening a student candidate does compared to their amount of talking. As someone with little to no experience, they should be more inclined to listening than talking, and when they do speak up it should be in part to ask focused questions based on what the recruiter has been saying. If you as a recruiter are interrupted often, this can serve as a red flag, since it indicates how they may treat potential clients.

Ask Effective Questions

Always keep in mind what you are looking for throughout the interview process: a candidate who can easily integrate themselves into your current team. To begin, you may start with a phone interview. This can help gauge how comfortable they are selling themselves without being face to face. Perhaps you could employ a cold-call roll play, where you guide them through a scenario that closely matches what happens in your sales company. As they work with you through this process, determine whether or not the candidate seems coachable. Do you get the sense that they can adjust to the process of thinking necessary to be a sales agent?

Another effective question could be asking the candidate to speak on something they recently learned. If they can explain a topic that was unbeknownst to you, they could turn out to be effective at telling clients what your product is all about. Pay attention to how interested they make you in the topic; this is a great indicator as to how well they can convince your clientele.

Most importantly, take note of the questions a candidate asks you. Questions that try to search for what it takes to be a part of your company are great for those searching for a sales position. They show that the person in question knows how to sell themselves, since asking you what it takes to be a part of the company is a highly effective way to knowing what phrases will make you want to hire them. Also, if the candidate knows a substantial amount of information about your company, this shows initiative on their part to make up for their lack of experience. All of this combined will help you make great decisions on college applicants.

Florin A. is an Online Advertising professional and article writer who likes to research the most recent trends in business, technology and marketing communications and writes about a range of articles.