5 Ways To Hire Sales Talent Before Your Competition

As companies continue to grow there will be a high demand for sales talent. You will find yourself competing with other companies to land the salesperson who you want on your team. And with the pickup of the market, candidates are able to selectively search for new opportunities with several companies pursuing them. So how are you going to attract sales candidates and show them that your company’s opportunity is the best one for them to take?

Here are 5 ways to hire sales talent before your competition does:

1. Sell your company early and often throughout the entire process. Some companies wait until the end before they begin telling a candidate about all the benefits of their company. This is a tough approach because the candidate might have already made up their mind about your company and you will find yourself fighting an uphill battle. Instead, as you are vetting out the candidate, make sure you are focusing some time on their questions. Introduce them to the team and show them around the office. When I speak with candidates about their job searches, it is more and more common for a candidate to mention the importance of culture…in the same breath as commute and money.
2. Do not make your process overly complicated or inconvenient. When I first started recruiting, it was common for a company to have 5+ steps to their process. That is 5 different calls or meetings…that is a huge commitment and for a candidate who is working full time as well as looking for a job, it is almost impossible. Our most successful partners often have a 3 step process; 1. Phone Call, 2. Face-to-Face with the team, 3.Face to Face to reconnect and offer. Bing, bang, boom.
3. Ask them about their search. Be transparent and ask them to do the same. Don’t let the 800lb Gorilla sit in the room, ask about it. “Where else are you interviewing?” Know your competition and ask your candidate how they feel about their search. “How do we compare to the other companies you are considering?” It is important to ask good qualifying questions to make sure you have a strong understanding of what you need to do to hire. Make sure they understand that there are others in the pipeline and in order to move forward it is important that money, start date and commitment to turn down any other offer or counter offer is required to extend an offer.
4. Help people relate to your company. Every candidate that is searching for a new job is also looking for an opportunity that offers stability. Stability is found in healthy sustainable work environments so educate them on your experience working at the company and why you decided to work there. Introduce them to your top producers and team members that you think share similar personality traits and interests. Help them relate to and put a face to the company. People want to join companies where they enjoy working and where they can spend 40+ hours a week with a team of people they enjoy working with.
5. Most of all, close. Ask candidates if there are any questions or concerns that would prevent them from accepting an offer. Identify all concerns, isolate each concern and overcome them. Gain agreement that this is a good career move and the right choice for them and close again.

If you utilize theses simple tactics, you will find yourself on the winning end of the candidate lottery. Remember, candidates may have other jobs in the pipeline. Don’t assume your company is number one, and don’t lose out to the competition because they are prepared to move more quickly and have more aggressive hiring practices. Compete for this talent and makes sure you get your hires.