How to Hire the Right Phone Sales Reps: Traits of a High-Performing Inside Sales Team
Hiring for phone sales is tricky. Every industry presents its own sales challenges, so you’ll want someone who can actually sell over the phone. The right person can build trust, qualify prospects, and keep your pipeline full. The wrong one can burn through lists without providing useful feedback, lose your brand voice, and make it harder for your company to hit revenue goals.
Every company has a different rhythm when it comes to selling, which is why there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Some founders are looking for a dedicated in-house inside sales rep. Others want to test an outsourced phone sales service before committing to another full-time hire. The key is to get clear about what success should look like before you start reviewing candidates or signing contracts.
Here’s what we’ve seen make the biggest difference when hiring or outsourcing for phone sales TG Sales Recruiting and TG Sales Agency.
5 Key Qualities of Good Phone Sales Reps
1. Communication that Actually Helps
If there’s one trait that separates the greats from everyone else, it’s communication. And not just with prospects.
A good phone sales rep knows how to communicate with your internal team too. They share updates, ask for feedback, and don’t vanish and reappear from the chat according to whims. They’re reliable. That’s what makes them part of the team, even if they’re technically remote or outsourced.
When hiring, it’s important to test for good communication. Can they write a clear follow-up note? Are they proactive? Can they summarize a client’s reaction or objection in a way that helps the next person on the team? You’d be surprised how many reps aren’t capable or willing to do this.
If you’re outsourcing or leading geographically distributed team you want a provider who communicates like they’re sitting right in your office. That’s what keeps campaigns moving forward.
2. A Proven Track Record
The best indicator of future success is past performance.
Ask for numbers. Not fluffy ones like “we made a thousand calls last month,” but real data. How many meetings came from those calls? What’s the average show rate? How long do prospects stay in the pipeline after an initial appointment?
If you’re hiring in-house, don’t be afraid to dig into the details of past roles. What did they sell? Who were they calling? What tools did they use? A rep who can tell stories with their data is often the one who really understands their craft.
Whenever we interview sales professionals that can’t clearly walk you through their performance in terms of their numbers, it’s an alert. Either past performance isn’t as strong as they’re saying or they’re still pretty green. Our hiring team must proceed accordingly.
And if you’re working with a sales agency, ask them to walk you through their results in industries like yours. A proven track record is the difference between someone who sounds confident and someone who can deliver.
3. Professionalism and Tools that Match Your System
Phone sales today is part tech, part timing, and part tenacity. The person or team you bring on should be comfortable using modern tools like Copper, Pipedrive, or Apollo.
They should understand that every logged note, tagged lead, or follow-up task helps your entire revenue operation run smoother. They can’t be careless in this regard. It’s the glue that keeps sales, marketing, and leadership aligned.
And professionalism matters. It counts when it comes to a rep’s tone of voice, showing up on time, sending updates before being asked, and treating your prospects with the same respect they’d give your best clients. Those small things are what make your brand look sharp, even when you’re not in the room.
4. Meaningful, Useful Reporting
If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. But not all reports are created equal.
A spreadsheet full of dials doesn’t tell you much. Look for reports that connect activity to outcomes. For example, which industries convert best? Which scripts perform worst? How many conversations actually led to booked meetings? There should be regular strategy sessions around your reports as needed to adjust your campaign.
An experienced rep or outsourced team won’t wait for you to ask for this information. They’ll bring it to you and talk through what’s working and what’s not. That’s how you know they care about results, not just output.
When we run campaigns, we share call recordings, notes, and live recaps on what we affectionately call “weekly accountability meetings.” We’re often working alongside our clients, and we want to keep each other motivated. It’s a simple habit, but it keeps everyone aligned and builds trust.
5. Adaptability in Real Life, and Selling Situations
Markets shift. Messaging changes. What worked in Q1 might not work in Q3.
Harvard Business Review says that adaptability and coaching are what distinguish high-performing sales organizations. That’s why adaptability is such a big deal. You don’t want someone who’s glued to the script or waiting for permission to try something different. You want people who notice when a message is falling flat and tweak it on the next call.
If a change in strategy or tactics is coming from leadership, you’ll also want them to be open-minded, but will push back when they believe it adds value, not just for the sake of avoiding change.
True adaptability is what separates order-takers from problem-solvers. The best reps get creative when things stall. They look for patterns and share ideas that help overall sales productivity improve, not just hit their daily activity quota.
Final Thoughts
Hiring or outsourcing for phone sales is one of those decisions that can change your entire growth trajectory. A great inside sales rep or appointment-setting team gives you more than a robust pipeline. They buy back time for your closers and give leadership a clear view of what’s actually happening after being deployed the market and working passionately on the frontlines.
You’re not just hiring a voice on the phone. You’re hiring a brand representative. And that deserves more thought than a quick job post or a cheap per-appointment rate.
If you find someone who can communicate clearly, track their work, stay accountable, and adjust fast when things shift, you’ll already be ahead of most teams.
What’s Next
If you’re hiring for an in-house phone sale teams or looking to explore outsourced options, TG Sales Recruiting and TG Sales Agency can help.
TG Sales Recruiting connects founders and HR leaders with proven inside sales reps who can represent your brand confidently. TG Sales Agency builds and manages B2B outbound campaigns with transparent reporting and active collaboration.
If you want to talk through what a strong phone sales setup should look like for your company, schedule a free consultation. We’ll help you compare both models and figure out which makes the most sense for your goals.
Because at the end of the day, good sales starts with the right voice on the other end of the line.
