Are you looking for a sales job? Do you suck as a candidate? Many sales professionals engage in shady tactics during the job search process – some without even realizing they are doing anything wrong.

Here are 5 things that bad sales candidates do during the job search and sales recruiting process:

1.     You don’t plan to stay long

Companies invest a lot of time, resources, and money into the recruiting process. It can be challenging to find the right person for the job. Bad sales job candidates go through the entire hiring process and accept jobs they know they will only be in for a short period of time. This forces companies to re-engage in the recruiting process and spend more money.

2.     You play one company against another

All job candidates want options when looking for sales jobs, but this doesn’t mean playing companies against each other. In an attempt to increase salary or compensation, some sales professionals will leverage a job offer and try to get more money out of one or both parties, ultimately taking the best offer.

3.     You hold out for a better offer

Most companies provide you with a general idea of salary and compensation expectations during the hiring process. Some candidates, even though they know the type of offer they will receive, do not accept the offer. They submit a substantially higher compensation request after they know the company wants to hire them.

4.     You oversell yourself

Companies want to know what they are getting in a candidate. They expect honesty during the hiring process to ensure both parties are the right fit for each other. However, bad sales candidates have a tendency to oversell themselves. They tend to stretch the truth about their experience, skills, and what they did in their previous sales jobs.

5.     You lie about your experience

This is one of the worst things you can do as a professional. Often, companies don’t figure it out until candidates are already in the job. Lying on your resume and during job interviews is unacceptable. It can impact a company’s performance, but it also hurts your ability to find work in the future.

More Sales Job Search Tips from Sales Recruiters

Get more sales career tips by reading these blog posts from our sales recruiters:

3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Taking That Sales Job

6 Tips to Get Found by a Sales Headhunter on LinkedIn

7 Unprofessional Habits That Kill Your Chances of Getting the Sales Job

SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which 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.