10 years ago
January 6, 2015

Why is it Hard to Find Good Sales People?

It is hard to find good sales people, and for many organizations the search appears to be growing even more difficult.

Rhys Metler

As a sales manager, you know that most of your active time with your sales team is spent coaching and mentoring your sales people. To reduce the constraints on your time and improve revenues for your organization, you want to find good sales people who can make significant contributions without constant oversight. Yet it is hard to find good sales people, and for many organizations the search appears to be growing even more difficult. So why is it so hard to find good sales people?

Why It’s Hard to Find Good Sales People: The Talent Matrix

It takes a select combination of skills, experience, attitude, and drive to become a good sales person, which makes it hard to find good sales people. Moreover, as the existing talent force ages, many sales people with the right matrix of characteristics and qualifications are leaving the workforce. It can take time for newer entrants to the job market to develop the traits that it takes to be a good sales person, which is causing a talent gap for many organizations; it is hard to find good sales people who are ready to begin selling quickly after hire. You may find better results by trying new recruiting channels designed to attract the talent you are looking for, such as:

  • Unique job descriptions that might appeal to a candidate who fits your ideal profile
  • Advertising your need for good sales people on social media
  • Sharing your needs with your current sales staff and asking for referrals who meet your requirements

Why It’s Hard to Find Good Sales People: In the Current Economy, Most Organizations Are Hiring in Sales

Consider that the current job market is taking place during a steadily improving economy in which organizations in all industries are looking to capture the best of the best sales talent available, and it becomes easier to understand why it is hard to find good sales people. When your organization is looking to make a sales hire, you are competing not only with others in your industry but with companies across all other industries for a limited number of well-qualified sales candidates.

Why It’s Hard to Find Good Sales People: The Best Candidates Leave the Job Market Quickly

In any economy and in virtually all industries, top candidates are rarely available on the job market for long. In fact, in many instances top candidates are never truly on the job market at all; the best sales people tend to be employed and may make the decision to move to another organization because a discreet opportunity became available – meaning that no other organization may have had an opportunity to recruit that individual.

This in turn suggests that organizations that are finding it hard to find good sales people should take a close look at their hiring practices and processes in order to shorten the hiring cycle. Having a shorter hiring cycle can help your organization recruit the best sales people before the competition can, and can also reduce your overall recruiting costs.

It Might Be Hard to Find Good Sales People – But You Can Make it Easier

While it is hard to find good sales people, you still need to find and recruit qualified sales talent to keep revenue growing. Gain an advantage in the job marketplace by partnering with a sales recruiter. A sales recruiter is constantly collecting, reviewing, and screening sales candidates and can provide streamlined referrals to highly qualified and motivated sales talent that fits your organization’s need for good sales people. Do not let the fact that it is hard to find good sales people stop your organization from hiring for quality. With a sales recruiter on your side, good sales people are only a phone call away.

Rhys Metler

Rhys is a tenacious, top performing Senior Sales Recruiter with 15+ years of focused experience in the Digital Media, Mobile, Software, Technology and B2B verticals. He has a successful track record of headhunting top performing sales candidates for some of the most exciting brands in North America. He is a Certified Recruitment Specialist (CRS) and has expert experience in prospecting new business, client retention/renewals and managing top performing sales and recruitment teams. Rhys enjoys spending quality time with his wife, son, and daughters, BBQing on a hot summer day and tropical vacations.

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