Recruiting and hiring good sales candidates is challenging, because there are so many variables that can indicate future success (or lack of it). Hard skills, for example, or skills that are acquired through training and experiences, are often necessary prerequisites of a position. Soft skills, which are more closely tied to a sales rep’s personality, can be great indicators of culture fit and work ethic. Both are critical to recruiting and hiring the right reps, and can be challenging to identify when recruiting.
Competition is also fierce for good reps. A-players are constantly being recruited by other companies. It’s no wonder the average turnover of a sales rep is 35 percent – more than twice the average for all other industries.
When sales hiring managers get it wrong (and all sales hiring managers get it wrong at one point or another), it can result in unattained quotas, unmanaged accounts, and poor team morale. This can significantly impact a company’s success.
So how can you increase your chances of recruiting and hiring the good sales candidates? Stack the deck in your favor. Here are four ideas to consider:
Make sure your compensation is on target.
Money isn’t everything, but it is important to most salespeople. Be sure your base and commission packages are competitive. A quick search of some of the most popular recruiting sites will let you know if you are in the right ballpark.
It may also be helpful to build in a draw and/or signing bonus to get candidates over the line. Great sales reps are often leaving money on the table every time they take a new position, and that can be tough to walk away from. An unrecoverable draw may make it easier.
Make sure your title aligns with the role responsibility.
Companies often create unique job titles for specific roles within their organization. Sometimes they are very long and descriptive and only relate to their specific company. The problem with this is that no one outside that specific organization will know what that title means. They will pass over these job listings and be attracted to titles they are familiar with.
Keep it simple. If it’s a new business role, call it an “Account Executive” or “Senior Account Executive”. For other roles, stick with “Account Manager”, “Customer Success Manager”, or “Sales Development Rep”.
Use a data division approach to recruiting.
Recruit reps that YOU KNOW are a great fit for your business. Use the data points that are specific to your job to mine sales rep databases and target reps who are the best fit. When you reach out to these reps, mention these specific data points in explaining why this position is the right fit as the next step in their career. This customized approach will make you stand out from other companies.
This is exactly what the TitanHouse platform offers to our clients – the ability to hyper-focus your recruiting efforts and be instantly matched with the absolute best sales professionals. It is the “loaded deck” all sales hiring leaders are looking for.
Don’t overlook social media.
In addition to taking the above steps, update your social media to mention open positions and the unique benefits of working with your company. Make sure your current sales team and recruiting teams are active on their own social media channels and advertising for open roles. Invest in an employee referral program, and promote this online as well as your career roadmap (promotion) policy.
Recruiting good sales reps is one of the greatest challenges in sales. But if you give yourself every advantage you can, you will land solid reps.
READ ON: Learn why Why Sales Rep Turnover Is at an All-time High or Why You Should Look at Sales Candidates With Unconventional Backgrounds
