One of the keys to better sales is to hire better salespeople to your business. Top salespeople are highly sought after, and it will require some effort on your part to convince them to become a part of your team. The benefits of attracting better salespeople are well worth the effort involved. Since you’ll be competing against a host of other businesses, you have to make sure that you stand out from the crowd. In effect, you have to sell the salespeople on your business. Once you do that, it’s easy to attract better salespeople to enhance your business.
Top salespeople are educated, knowledgeable, and highly informed. They want to know exactly what it is that they’re getting into. To attract better salespeople, you need to offer a better job description. A vague or overly generalized job posting doesn’t give them the information they need to make a decision. You need to create detailed and transparent job descriptions that are specifically tailored to the role you’re trying to fill. Create an ideal-applicant profile first, then customize the job description to appeal to that profile. When your ideal candidate reads a job description that speaks directly to them, they’ll be far more likely to gravitate towards that position.
Better salespeople are looking for a better work environment. They want to know where they fit in with a company, and that their efforts are appreciated. If you have a poorly defined company culture, it’s hard for any employee to find their place. Your workplace culture tells the story of your company. Everything from civic engagement and charitable acts, to employee support and benefits are a part of that story. Without that, better salespeople may not be able to identify with your organization, or see themselves playing a part in it. Instead of emphasizing the cold, hard facts about what your business does, you should highlight the human aspects of what your business is.
Many businesses become overly focused on the financial aspects of trying to attract better salespeople. Top salespeople will have numerous businesses throwing money at them. You need to offer them something that makes your business stand out. Training programs that help them improve their skills can be tantalizing. Perks like child care, employee support programs, or memberships to professional organizations are also great additions. High-quality salespeople are looking for an environment of mutual respect and encouragement. They want to feel like they’re a part of something that’s about more than just the money. Offer them perks and benefits that are customized to their interests and lifestyle, and you’ll quickly start hiring better salespeople.
One of the common traits of top salespeople is a desire to improve themselves. They are constantly seeking ways to become even better salespeople. If they don’t feel that you offer room for improvement, they’ll sign on with someone who does. You should have a clearly defined ladder of promotions available for your top salespeople. They should know what promotions are available, and what they have to do to get them. If they can see a clear path to greater future success, they’ll be able to envision themselves with your business for years to come. If they look into their future and see doubt and uncertainty, they’ll either reject your offer, or simply use your business as a springboard to another business.
It does take some effort to attract better salespeople. Fortunately, it doesn’t require a huge investment of effort to make these changes. You simply need to be clear about who you are, what you’re looking for, and what sets you apart from the competition. Not only will this reward you with better salespeople, but it will also give you a better sense of corporate identity, and greater employee satisfaction.
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.