How do I hire sales reps who will actually sell?

Hiring reps when you cannot yet read who will sell feels like a coin flip with real money on it, and the misses are expensive in time and morale. Feeling unsure is honest. Most people cover it with a gut call and a good feeling. You are at least asking the right question. The trap is hiring for confidence and charm, because selling looks like those things from the outside. But the reps who produce often share quieter traits: they are coachable, they do not give up after a no, they prepare. Those are harder to see in an hour and far more predictive than a firm handshake. Before your next hire, decide the two or three traits your best sellers actually share, then design a question or task that tests each one. Hire against that list, not against your gut in the moment. A rough system beats a good feeling, and you can sharpen the system every hire.