Companies can live and die by the quality of their salesforce. Hire the best. Look for people with these characteristics:

• Highly motivated by money
• eager to learn, self-confident
• persistent, competitive
• able to cope with rejection
• good listeners

Your sales professionals should also have detailed knowledge of your products, the competitors' products, and the market in which those products are sold. Hold regular training sessions and encourage your team to attend outside training classes and seminars.