Using sales recruiting firms to find the best sales people in your area can really boost your company’s success. Here are just a few ways:

• Sales recruiting firms can tap into unseen pools of qualified candidates
• Sales recruiting firms qualify candidates before you ever have contact with them
• Sales recruiting firms significantly increase the chances that offers will be accepted
• Sales recruiting firms save you time and money during the hiring process

These benefits are enormous. When you don’t have to step away from the day-to-day operations of your sales team to hire new sales reps, your company can continue to hum along without costs to productivity. Additionally, sales recruiting firms can find the superstar sales people in your industry, the ones that may not even be actively looking for a job change at the moment.

The key to enjoying these benefits is to find a sales recruiting firm that will work well for you and your company. Developing a long-lasting relationship with a recruiting firm can benefit you not just today and next week but for years and years. As the recruiting firm gets to know your company better, they’ll understand the culture of your team and exactly what kind of person will fit in and thrive with your firm. But how do you find the perfect recruiting firm? Try these three tips:

Assess the Sales Recruiting Firms’ Familiarity with Your Industry

Sales recruiting firms often specialize in a particular industry, even if they serve a broader clientele. If you establish a relationship with a firm that has extensive connections within your specific industry, you’ll have a much better chance of hiring sales reps who are a perfect fit.

To assess the sales recruiting firms you’re looking at, ask pointed questions about your industry. What other clients do they serve? How familiar are they with the products and services you sell? Do they know any of the people who already work for you? By asking questions like these, you’ll find out which of the local sales recruiting firms knows the most about your specific industry and can be the most helpful to you.

Determine the Sales Recruiting Firms’ Responsiveness

When you need new sales reps, you need them now, so it’s important to find a recruiting firm that responds quickly and professionally. You will start to get a feel for a recruiting firm’s responsiveness the first time you call. Do people call you back right away or do they wait a few day? When you send an email, does it feel like you’re sending your message off into the great unknown?

Good sales recruiting firms not only respond quickly to your queries, but they also work to build a relationship with you. When they stay in touch with you and find out how things are going with personnel, they’re better able to recruit the best sales people for your company.

Find Out if They Listen

Successful sales recruiting firms are good listeners. They take the time to hear what you want and what you need, and they don’t make assumptions about what they think you need. Along with good listening, good recruiting firms don’t pressure you to make rash decisions; instead they set up reasonable timetables to get good feedback.

Here are some ways to recognize that sales recruiting firms are bad listeners:

• They always ask the same questions
• They take short cuts in finding the right candidate
• They send you candidates who don’t really fit your needs

By assessing familiarity with your industry, determining responsiveness, and finding out if they listen, you can find a sales recruiting firm that will send you high quality sales reps time and again. As you develop this invaluable business relationship, your company will thrive, and you’ll enjoy your work more fully.