Are you having challenges attracting top sales talent to your company? Most companies are. The competition for top industry talent has never been greater. Many organizations are struggling to find that top sales talent who will put them over the top and help them repeatedly achieve sales objectives.

Without the right talent, you will be hard-pressed to have the organizational success you want. So, the question is, why is your company struggling to attract top sales talent? And what can you do about it? Here, our Toronto sales recruiters talk about the 7 main reasons your company is missing top sales talent.

1. You Have a Poor Employer Brand

How your organization is perceived has a big impact on your ability to attract top talent. The best sales talent isn’t even going to think about applying for jobs with your company if you have not established a strong work environment. Poor recommendations from previous employees, bad customer reviews, and negative views of your company will prevent people from wanting to work for you. If your employer brand is not the best, you need to repair it.

2. Your Jobs Ads Are Bad

The way you present a job to candidates will directly impact who will apply. A vague and poorly written post will do very little to get people excited about the job, let alone apply. Job ads need to have a strong hook, provide candidates with the details they are looking for, and spark their interest in the job. Provide the type of information top sales talent would want to know. Be detailed and make it enticing for them to apply. Remember, the goal of the job ad is to get people to apply. Once you get top talent to apply, you can further sell them on the company during the interview.

3. Lack of a Consistent Recruiting Process

Consistency is a must in recruiting. You never know when a top sales talent could come before you. But, if you are not in a position to act quickly, you could lose them before you ever had a chance to engage them.

• Always be recruiting
• Make sure you are using your ads to target the right talent
• Have a consistent recruiting process in place
• Have a process to expedite the interview process if you have an exceptional sales talent
• Look for sales talent in the right places

4. Your Recruitment Process Is Nothing Special

Top talent wants to be treated like top talent. You need to make a good first impression on them. This starts with the first email or call and carries on throughout the interview process. How you recruit them, the steps you take, and what you communicate to them is a slight indication of what it could be like to work for your company. If you lack energy, drag things out, and lack excitement, it’ll be a hard sell to get a candidate to come on board.

5. Your Compensation Packages Are Not Competitive

Money talks. Top sales talent want to be compensated well for their efforts. Compensation is a top consideration, and if you do not offer a competitive package, you’ll have trouble getting people to apply. You need to offer compensation plans that give your people an incentive to perform. Offer a package that is in alignment with what others are offering. Use a commission plan that makes sense for the job and gives reps the ability to make top dollar if they perform well.

6. You Fail to Set Clear Expectations

Top sales talent wants to know what they are getting themselves into before they agree to work for your company. You need to set clear expectations from the beginning. Outline the interview process, the specifics of the role, opportunities for growth, how compensation works, and other important information. If you’re vague and not forthcoming, it will cause candidates to second guess your company, and they could disengage or ghost you.

7. You Are Not Selling the Opportunity

How you frame the opportunity is vital. If you treat it like just another job, the candidate will have little to get enthusiastic about. But, if you focus on the larger opportunity your company can offer, it will be more appealing to top sales candidates. Talk about potential growth opportunities, financial incentives, and how the role can help the candidate in the future.

There are a lot of reasons you could be missing out on top sales talent. Take a look at your recruiting process top to bottom to identify areas where you can improve. This will help you get back on the right track and start to attract the top talent you need to be successful in the sales industry.

Read More From Our Sales Recruitment Blog

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8 Ways to Optimize Your Sales Job Description to Entice Top Talent

7 Ways to Spot a Great Sales Candidate BEFORE the Interview

8 Unhirable Sales Candidate Habits to Watch Out for When Recruiting

4 Things Sales Recruiters Should Stop Saying If They Want to Get the Star Candidate

SalesForce Search is a Toronto sales recruiting company that specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We recruit salespeople in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services, and medical devices. Find the right salesperson for your organization, start your search here.