Talented sales reps are in high demand and aren’t going to work at your company just because you’ve recruited and interviewed them. You need to show them why your company is the best place for them to work, and make sure they want to work for you just as much as you want to hire them. There are 5 key areas top sales reps routinely evaluate to see if the position and company are the right fit for them. As a sales leader, you should work to improve on these areas and make sure they’re appealing to top sales reps.
Company Website
One of the first places candidates look when researching a potential company is their website. Make sure your website is up-to-date and highlights positive achievements and news about your company. Use the career section of your website to elaborate on company culture and vision. Make sure it’s clear to candidates the goals of your organization and what sets your company apart from other companies in your industry or geographical area. Top performers are generally socially conscious and active in the community, so be sure to share any service activities your company is involved in and detail how a new employee will be able to get involved in these efforts.
Marketing Efforts
Another area sales reps look at is the marketing culture inside the organization. Sales reps want to know how they will be supported and how the business is positioned in the marketplace. Are the marketing strategies being used to support sales professionals cutting-edge and progressive? For example, do you have a way to capture leads or downloadable content? Since sales and marketing work closely together in most organizations, it’s important that your marketing team is generating quality leads and presenting an exciting face to the world.
Sales Leadership
Another area candidates will be assessing is sales leadership. Sales leaders ultimately influence the sales culture of the company and dictate the selling environment within the organization. Let the sales candidate know what type of leaders are in your organization and their leadership styles. Are they inspirational and hands-on? Are they influencing results through coaching and mentoring? These are the types of qualities that top sales reps like to see in sales leaders. Tell them about any training they will receive when they are hired or what type of mentoring opportunities are available. If you have a poor leadership environment, it will quickly become apparent to sales candidates and deter them from your organization.
Company Vision
Top sales candidates are interested in the overall company direction and where they fit into this vision. Is there a clear direction for the business and is the owner of the business sales-centric? Top sales candidates look for companies that are growing and thriving, and they won’t be able to get this from organizations that don’t have defined goals to expand. Be sure to provide candidates with sales numbers and examples of how the company has grown in the last year. Also, describe to candidates how they can contribute to this overall goal and any opportunities for growth. Top candidates and Millennials especially want to be able to directly contribute to the company’s mission and have an impact. If your company promotes from within, or if you recognize personal achievements within the company, be sure to mention this.
Culture
Finally, culture fit is extremely important for hiring and retaining top sales reps. Not only do they need to be a fit for the qualifications of the position, but they need to fit in with your culture. Are they a team player or prefer to work alone, and how does this fit into your current culture? These are important considerations to make when deciding if a candidate is a match for your open position or not.
Be sure that you are putting your best foot forward with candidates in today’s job market by selling the opportunity to join a dynamic company. By demonstrating excellence in these four areas you will maximize your chances of landing top candidates! Top talent has many options for employment today, and won’t settle for a company that’s not as ambitious and talented as they are.
I imagine hiring a sales recruiter for your company would help you save money over time. I agree that it’s very important to keep your company’s website up to date so that it sheds better light on your business. I didn’t know there were so many aspects that a sales recruiter looked at, so thanks for the info!