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Secrets to attracting the best sales representatives

3 min read

Management

Attracting the right kinds of workers can be difficult. In fact, a recent survey found that 35% of employers reported problems in finding staff with the right skills.

Though many employers face problems, good sales representatives are among the hardest to find.  How can you ensure you’re doing all you can to find the hidden gems? You will likely need to rethink your hiring process if you hope to continually attract top candidates. Focus on honing your hiring strategy so only the best and the brightest sales professionals apply.

Here are five ways to do it:

  1. Have a solid career site. Candidates often check out a company career site as a way to evaluate an organization. Without one — or without one that’s sufficient — you’ll likely attract the wrong types of sales representative candidates. Create and manage a career site that holds details such as company history, sales operations information, what an ideal candidate must possess, contact information and, of course, what they need to do to apply.
  2. Personalize your company. You should do your best to personalize your company, particularly when hiring sales professionals. This is important because it allows candidates to understand what it’s going to be like to work for you. For example, a short video with your CEO explaining the company’s missions, values, and overall benefits puts a face to the organization. In addition, testimonials, current-employee feedback and best practice information can also help you to attract the best sales professionals.
  3. Brag a little. If your company has won awards for the best place to work, it’s worth talking about. If your organization repeatedly has low client turnover, high commissions or a larger base salary, it needs to be broadcasted. These elements make your company look good, which is what high-quality sales representatives look for in an organization.
  4. Require numbers. You should also encourage sales candidates to offer proof that they are good at what they do. Be clear about what type of information you require: percent of quota they’ve met in recent years (or quarters), past salary data or commissions they’ve earned, rank in their previous company, and what types of products they’ve sold. Past results are the best indicator of how they might perform at your organization, so obviously you’re looking for the best numbers. By setting this expectation up front, you’ll likely receive candidates who are a cut above the rest.
  5. Connect online. It’s no surprise many candidates search for jobs online — 60% of job seekers use social networking to find work. By connecting and then sourcing sales representatives online, you’ll open up the pool to more candidates. Try posting job openings on your LinkedIn page or use a special job hashtag on Twitter. Since candidates are already actively looking online, you’ll be able to connect with them better if you actually have a presence.

As noted, it can be difficult to find the right sales professionals. However, taking these tips into consideration can improve your candidate pool while allowing you to find the best sales representatives for your organization.

What do you think? What are some other ways to attract the best sales professionals?

Robyn Melhuish is the communications manager at MedReps.com, a job board which gives members access to the most sought after medical sales jobs and pharmaceutical sales jobs on the Web. Connect with Melhuish and MedReps.com on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.