Many qualified candidates are on the job market looking for new sales manager opportunities. When trying to find a new sales manager who is truly qualified, you want to focus on candidates who sell themselves. Find these desirable candidates using proven recruiting tactics for management hiring.

Launch an Attractive Job Description

To find a new sales manager, you first need to attract highly qualified candidates interested in the position. A creative and thorough job description that speaks to the career goals of driven sales managers is the first step to meeting this goal. The job posting to find a new sales manager should incorporate:

• A summary of your organization’s history and goals
• An overview of what the sales manager will be responsible for, including measurable goals if possible
• Required experience in sales (typically five years at a minimum)
• Other qualifications, such as education, desired 

The channels you choose to broadcast your job description to find a new sales manager are as important as the posting itself. Look towards publications that sales managers or sales people prepared to step into management with experience in your industry are known to read. Don’t discount the value of networking to find a new sales manager, either. Encourage employees who may know qualified candidates to share the opening, and also post your description on your website and social media pages.

Sort Applications as They Come In

When you set out to find a new sales manager, you are already expecting to allot significant time to the process. There are a few things that you can do to save time, and one of the most effective is to route incoming applications as they arrive into three categories: Those in which you are not interested, those in which you are interested, and those in which you are extremely interested. Organizing applications on a daily basis saves you from making the oversights that can come from spending large blocks of time on the same tasks, and allows you to call back the best qualified applicants timely, helping you find a new sales manager.

Create Efficiency by Holding Phone Interviews First 

A great sales person is just as effective on the phone as he or she is in person, and you are looking for this same quality in a sales manager. To find a new sales manager who can be effective in both mediums, test the best qualified applicants by holding a phone interview with each before scheduling in-person interviews. During the phone interview, look for the following qualities: 

• Responses to questions focused on ability and results drawing on real past examples
• An open interest in becoming your next sales manager, evidenced by asking questions that go under the surface about the position and your business as a whole
• An engaging, upbeat attitude

Schedule In-Person Interviews for the Most Promising Candidates 

At each step leading to in-person interviews, your candidate pool narrows. By the time you schedule in-person interviews, you probably have between three and ten outstanding candidates. Expect to spend at least an hour with each candidate, and up to two hours, perhaps more, for the most outstanding candidates. 

During the interview, ask open-ended questions that put pressure on the candidate and note carefully his or her responses. Use scenario-based hypothetical questions to examine how the candidate is likely to respond to common and less common sales team issues. As you proceed, be thinking about whether the candidate is equipped to do the job and is a fit with your organization’s culture.

When you find a new sales manager and are sure that he or she can provide what you need, do not unnecessarily delay making an offer. Great sales managers are in high demand, and are rarely on the job market for long. After putting your time and effort into the hunt to find a new sales manager, you want to be sure that your first choice candidate is your first hire.