{"id":125171,"date":"2025-08-05T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content-stg-talogy.pantheonsite.io\/?p=125171"},"modified":"2026-03-03T19:00:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T19:00:27","slug":"hiring-for-potential-vs-experience-in-sales-whats-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talogy.com\/en\/blog\/hiring-for-potential-vs-experience-in-sales-whats-better\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiring for potential vs experience in sales: What\u2019s better?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sales hiring is no easy task for a sales leader. Whether you are building a sales team from the ground up, expanding your current team, or reorganizing all together, sales hiring requires measuring a unique set of traits before bringing someone new into the organization. If you\u2019re in the process of building a sales team and you keep asking yourself if you should be hiring for potential vs experience, you\u2019re asking the wrong question. I\u2019ve been at this for over thirty years, and I\u2019ve seen time and time again that in most cases you need both, but for different reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experience: Not always the quick fix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In sales hiring, experienced candidates definitely bring their fair share of assets to the role. They have the battle scars and are not disillusioned by a deal that has gone south. Believe me, I\u2019ve left probably hundreds of botched deals littering my floor over a successful career. Experience has taught me how to navigate a sales cycle, manage a pipeline, and close under pressure without flinching. Getting ghosted becomes part of the job and you know how to pivot without panicking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you need results now, most hiring managers debating on whether to hire for potential vs experience opt for the seasoned veteran. These are the people who can immediately step into uncertainty and find a way to get it done. They get up to speed quickly and ask the right questions to shorten the sales cycle and earn revenue and commissions fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve seen a lot of experienced reps come and go but you must realize that not all experience is created equal. 10 or 15 years in sales may sound impressive, but it doesn\u2019t automatically equate to the person being a high performer<\/a>. Organizations pay a premium for tenure when it comes to sales hiring, so be careful on who you choose to place your bets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If your sales team isn\u2019t hitting target and you\u2019re not sure whether it\u2019s talent, fit, or coaching, connect with an expert to see how Talogy\u2019s Caliper for Sales<\/strong><\/a> reveals where real revenue potential exists.<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Potential: The long game<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hiring for potential can be tricky and unpredictable, but also incredibly successful. I\u2019ve found that many reps classified as high potential are the aggressive and hungry ones. They ask a lot of questions, but more importantly, they listen, take feedback, and use the newfound knowledge to generate revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tradeoff in sales hiring when opting for potential over experience is that they\u2019ll likely make mistakes initially and take longer to get up to speed which means a longer lag between hire and profitability. But in the end, if you hire the right<\/em> individual with potential, it may be one of your most strategic moves and an overall smart investment for continued growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is experience or potential better for your team?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, what I\u2019ve seen work best is a balance of the two. Think of it like your investment portfolio. Most financial advisors wouldn\u2019t recommend you go all-in on crypto or dump everything into municipal bonds but instead strike a balance. Too many hires with potential and you could be one quarter away from a somber discussion with the board. Too much experience and your team can stagnate or get too comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you blend both, I find that the result is a motivated team with passion.  Let experience mentor potential and let potential challenge experience. Both levels of tenure need to show up every day with curiosity, accountability, resilience, and ownership. Also, when hiring for experience vs potential, be certain your hires fit within the company culture. Sales assessments such as Talogy\u2019s Caliper<\/a> help you spot the best matches for your organization early before someone\u2019s polished resume slips toxic habits into your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to succeed in sales hiring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sales hiring is an art and must be approached strategically to build a high performing team that drives results now and scales later. Experience gives you the foundation, potential injects energy, and you need both if you want a team that actually produces results. So, when debating on hiring for potential vs experience, know that a truly impactful and successful sales team requires striking a balance between the two, knowing both groups have something unique to bring to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"4<\/figure>
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Four key elements for an effective hiring process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Effective hiring requires strategic planning.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How can you ensure that your end-to-end screening and selecting process will ensure you’ll end up hiring the best talent for your roles, while also providing an engaging and thorough candidate experience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our infographic illustrates the four key steps an organization can take to support a smooth and successful hiring process regardless of whether you’re screening at volume, or selecting from a small talent pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Click to view<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sales hiring is no easy task for a sales leader. Whether you are building a sales team from the ground up, expanding your current team, or reorganizing all together, sales hiring requires measuring a unique set of traits before bringing someone new into the organization. If you\u2019re in the process of building a sales team […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":104474,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"custom_post_author_id":"103440","footnotes":""},"categories":[179],"tags":[],"tax_topic":[172,163],"tax_industry":[157,156,155,154,153,152,151,150,149,148],"class_list":["post-125171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tax_topic-designing-hiring-processes","tax_topic-talent-selection","tax_industry-automotive","tax_industry-energy-and-utility","tax_industry-federal-government","tax_industry-finance-and-insurance","tax_industry-healthcare","tax_industry-manufacturing","tax_industry-professional-services","tax_industry-public-sector","tax_industry-retail","tax_industry-state-and-local-government"],"yoast_head":"\nSales Hiring: Potential vs Experience? | Talogy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore sales hiring strategies and learn when to hire for potential vs experience to build a high-performing, balanced sales team. \u2713 Learn more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/talogy.com\/en\/blog\/hiring-for-potential-vs-experience-in-sales-whats-better\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sales Hiring: Potential vs Experience? 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