There are exceptions to this rule but it is the best bet so that you can get the best sales effort from your salesperson. Accountants know too much and normally will give the store away before the sale is closed. Look for someone who has had sales jobs that are largely commissioned based. The best salespeople in the nation make their money on commissions. Offer a small base salary plus commission, with no limit to what they can make by producing profit for your company.
Resumes just relate experience.
Sales skills are people skills and can t be determined by a resume but rather with face to face contact. The second challenge is that you need to make sure that he or she is going to have enough time to succeed. How much time varies from what type of businesses your firm targets. Normally the sales cycle for accounting and payroll can be one day to one month. However even while targeting businesses that have a short sales cycle, you need to give new salespeople time to adjust to the culture of your firm and the accounting business.