Finding sales people that fit your organization well is all about two things: knowing what you are looking for in a sales professional and where best to find prospective employees with those traits.  Sure, posting an advertisement and scouring through resumes, the more traditional path, can yield good results.  But the more direct approach often yields the best results.  

The key to identifying the qualities in a sales person you are looking for is to take a close look at your customers.  What kind of person fits well with your customers?  What type of person do your customers respond to?  You’ll want to assemble a list of not only the experience you are looking for but also the personality traits that are best suited.  Once your list is complete you can move on to finding sales people.  

Competition

One of the best places for finding sales people is within the doors of your competitors.  Ever run into one of those sales people that you just can’t seem to beat in the marketplace?  Don’t fight him, hire him away from the competition.  Hiring competitors’ employees gives you a leg up in that new hires will know the customer base, the sales process, and the products well.  It can have some unintended effects, however.  Finding sales people within your industry can leave you with personnel that are stuck in their ways, or your competitor’s, and be reluctant to change.  

Customers

Few people will know your product or service better than those that use it or, in the case of wholesale or manufacturing, those that sell it themselves.  Your customers can be a great source for finding sales people and, in many industries, it is a very natural vertical for them.  You’ll want to take the time to make sure that your specific sales process is a fit for them and that their sales acumen is up to your standards.  Referrals from customers can also achieve the same.  

From Within

An often overlooked pool of sales talent is within your own company.  Current employees working in customer service or other departments may aspire to climb the sales ladder.  The benefits to finding sales people from within include insight into current practices, character and personality knowledge, and limited training needs.  

Outside

Another great place for finding sales people is within the companies trying to sell to you.  Whether that is your own vendors, telemarketers soliciting you, or a great barista at your local coffee shop, the best fit for your company may already be selling you.  

Finding sales people for your organization can be accomplished in a number of places.  Keep an eye out for diamonds in the rough and you’ll likely find them in some unexpected places.  And keep in mind that if you are struggling to find the right fit yourself a recruiter with their pulse on the finger of the industry may have already tapped into one of these pipelines.