Picture this. It’s Q4 crunch time. Your numbers are slipping, quotas are starting to look like the Everest of sales goals, and your team’s breaking into a cold sweat. Will they hit their targets?
Well, according to Salesforce, 67% of sales reps don’t think they’ll hit their quota this year, and 84% missed it last year. Ouch.
The good news is that there’s a silver lining in every sales slump. With the right strategies, you can turn things around and build a sales team that’s not just hitting, but smashing those quotas out of the park.
This complete guide’s going to show you how to do just that. We’ll cover the essentials, from the importance of attracting top talent to implementing winning recruitment strategies.
Let’s get started!
Key Traits of Top Sales Talent
So, what makes a sales pro stand out from the crowd? Here’s the lowdown on the traits you’ll want in your top sales talent.
Good communication skills:
Top salespeople are chatty, but not just for the sake of it. They know how to listen (actively, they’re not just waiting to talk) and can turn a simple conversation into a connection. They break down complex info into bite-sized, digestible pieces and can read their audience like a book.
Persistence with a smile:
Ever met someone who just won’t quit? That’s what you need. The best sales pros have a never-give-up attitude. They face rejection like a champ and use it as fuel to keep pushing. And, they do it with a smile. They’re upbeat, resilient, and keep their cool even when the going gets tough.
80% of sales happen after the fifth to twelfth contact attempt. So, having someone who’s willing to keep reaching out, even if a prospect hasn’t said yes right away, can make all the difference.
Deep product knowledge
Top salespeople know their stuff inside and out. They’re like walking encyclopedias about their product or service. They can answer questions, overcome objections, and show off features with confidence. Their expertise makes them the go-to person for customers who need info or reassurance.
Let’s see this in action. Say you work for a company that sells a virtual telephone number to different businesses. A top salesperson wouldn’t just rattle off the basics. They’d go into how it makes call routing easy, syncs up with CRM systems, and boosts customer service. If a potential customer is wondering how it all fits into their setup or solves their problems, this rep has got the answers.
Goal-oriented mindset
They’ve got their eyes on the prize. Top sales talent are driven by goals and targets. They set ambitious goals for themselves and keep their focus on hitting (and exceeding) those targets. Their motivation is sky-high, and they’re always aiming to outdo their last performance.
Sales and Recruitment: More Alike Than You Think
So, after reading about these qualities, you might be thinking, “Wait a minute, this sounds a lot like recruitment!” And you’re spot on. Sales and recruitment have a lot in common. In both roles, you’re pitching something, whether it’s a product or a job. Here’s how they stack up:
- Pitching the offer: Just like a sales rep pitches a product, a recruiter pitches a job. You’re not just listing duties. Nope, you’re selling the role as the next big opportunity. It’s all about making the offer sound irresistible, much like using inbound marketing strategies to attract leads.
- Building relationships: Sales and recruitment both rely heavily on relationships. Salespeople build rapport with clients to close deals, while recruiters build relationships with candidates to find the right fit for a role. In both cases, trust and connection are key.
- Understanding needs: Successful salespeople go deep to understand their clients’ needs and tailor their pitch accordingly. Similarly, great recruiters take the time to understand a candidate’s career goals and match them with the right job.
- Overcoming objections: Whether it’s handling a client’s hesitations about a product or addressing a candidate’s concerns about a job, both roles require the ability to handle objections and provide reassuring answers.
- Closing the deal: In sales, closing the deal is the ultimate goal, and in recruitment, it’s securing the perfect candidate for the role. Both require a strong final push to seal the deal and ensure a successful outcome.
So, when you’re recruiting for sales, approach it like making a sale. Blend your brilliant recruitment strategies with the same tactics sales pros use. In our next section we’re going to show you how to do just that.
7 Effective Sales Recruitment Strategies
Now that you’ve got a good idea about what makes a top-notch sales team and how similar sales and recruitment can be, it’s time to get practical and start finding and hiring those stellar salespeople.
Here are 8 effective sales recruitment strategies to help you build a great sales team:
1. Pitch Yourself Like a Pro
In today’s job market, where snagging top talent is tougher than ever, you’ve got to switch things up a bit. It’s a bit of a “buyer’s market” out there, so get ready to hustle. You can’t just sit back and wait for amazing candidates to knock on your door. Nope, the same ways salespeople are always searching for quality leads, these days, you’ve got to sell them on why they should work for you.
Show them why your company is the place to be. This means offering a killer salary and benefits, providing chances for training and growth, and creating a work culture that actually values personal development (not just talking the talk, but walking the walk).
Make sure your company shines in your marketing materials and especially on your website. Job seekers will likely check out your site first, so make sure it shows off your company’s strengths and values.
Even though there are over 13 million people in sales jobs in the US alone, it’s a pretty tight-knit industry. Everyone knows everyone, or at least feels like it. So, if you want to pull in the top talent, make sure what you’re selling matches up with the reality of your workplace.
2. Give Your Sales Team What They Crave
Top performers have loads of options for sales jobs, so you need to tune in to what they’re actually looking for. Sure, money and flashy job ads catch their eye, but there’s more to it.
According to a recent study, here’s what top performers are really after:
- 67% want paid sick leave
- 57% want flexible working hours
- 46% want pension contribution matching
- 40% want mental health and wellbeing support
- 39% want a performance bonus
Keep these in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to attracting and retaining top-notch sales talent.
3. Upgrade Those Job Listings
When you’re posting a job, make sure you’re shouting about what’s in it for them, not just what they need to bring to the table. Instead of listing a boring laundry list of duties and qualifications, focus on what makes your company awesome.
Here’s how to make your job listings pop:
- Why work for you instead of the next guy? Tell them what makes you the best choice, not just another job.
- Why ditch a decent gig for you? Convince them it’s worth trading their old job for your new one.
- What’s unique about your company? Do you have a competitive advantage or USP?
- What’s in it for them down the line? Show them the financial and career growth they can expect.
- Any quirky perks? Got a nap room, free yoga classes or a weekly taco truck?
If your job ad reads like a never-ending checklist, job seekers might think they need to tick every box to apply. Instead, list only the must-haves, keeping it simple and enticing.
4. Find Those Passive Job Seekers
If you’re wanting to get those superstar salespeople, you’ve got to go out and find them. Most top performers aren’t scouring job boards. Instead, they’re busy closing deals and making bank.
Around 70% of workers aren’t actively job-hunting, but they might be open to a new opportunity if you catch their eye. If you’re only looking at people who are actively applying, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of potential talent.
So, it might sound a bit unconventional, but you’ve got to hustle to attract those who aren’t actively job-searching. This is where you’ll find the hidden gems and top performers you’re after.
In the sales game, it’s all about the ABCs: Always Be Closing. When it comes to recruiting, think ABR: Always Be Recruiting. Keep building a network of top-tier candidates even when you don’t have immediate openings.
5. Smooth Out Your Hiring Process
Just like your sales reps may use a sales tool to help close deals, you need some recruitment tools to find and hire top talent. This’ll speed up your hiring process and make it way easier.
Here’s how using recruitment tools can help:
- Speed things up: Recruitment tools can help you find and manage candidates faster. No more endless piles of resumes or playing phone tag. On average, it takes about 44 days to hire someone, but the best candidates are often snatched up in just 10. So, you’ll need to move fast if you want the best talent.
- Organize everything: They keep all your candidate info in one place. This makes it easier to track progress and avoid missing out on great candidates.
- Boost your reach: Use these tools to post jobs on multiple platforms at once. It’s like hitting all the right notes in a sales pitch—get your job ad seen by more people.
- Automate the boring stuff: Tools can automate scheduling interviews and sending follow-up emails. Less time on admin tasks means more time for finding top talent.
- Gives you helpful insights: The same way sales teams use behavioral analytics tools for lead generation, you can use it to really understand how your future sales employees are interacting with your recruitment process.
6. Keep ‘Em Happy with Retention Hacks
While you’re hunting for fresh talent, don’t forget about your current rock stars. They’re the ones who are already working hard for you, and if you’re not careful, other companies might try to lure them away with fancy offers.
Keep your top performers happy and motivated. Sure, a great salary and benefits are key, but showing you’re invested in their career growth can make a huge difference.
Replacing a great employee is tough and costly. Applauz says it can range from half to four times their annual salary to find and train a replacement. Plus, there’s the time it takes for new hires to get up to speed, which can slow things down.
So, use the REAP method to keep your top sellers around:
- Recognize their awesome contributions.
- Encourage open chats and feedback.
- Adopt tech to help them smash their goals.
- Provide opportunities for long-term growth.
Stay close to your team, understand what they’re aiming for, and you’ll spot any signs they’re unhappy or thinking of jumping ship. Catch these signals early and you can either fix things or start prepping for their replacements.
7. Embrace Diversity and Inclusion
Sometimes, the best candidates come from the most unexpected places. So you’ve really got to be doing some diverse recruitment.
Bringing in people from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can seriously boost your sales team. And, with remote work becoming more common, you’ve got a global talent pool right at your fingers.
Diverse teams bring fresh ideas, different approaches, and a wider range of solutions. Plus, inclusivity makes your workplace more attractive to top talent from all walks of life.
But don’t just take our word for it. Mckinsey & Co found that companies in the top quartile for both gender and ethnic diversity in executive teams are on average 9% more likely to outperform their peers. On the other hand, those in the bottom quartile for both are 66% less likely to outperform financially on average. That’s a huge gap and it’s only getting bigger, showing that lack of diversity might be costing you more than you think.
So how can you action this when recruiting?
- Explore beyond your usual sources. Check out diverse job boards, attend inclusive career fairs, and dive into global remote platforms.
- Make sure your job descriptions are welcoming and don’t scare off diverse candidates.
- Strip away names and other identifiers from resumes so you focus on skills and experience, not backgrounds.
- Make your workplace one where everyone feels valued and included—this will draw in top talent.
Final Thoughts
To attract those top sales performers, make sure you’re offering what they really want: flexibility, growth, and some cool perks.
Also, don’t forget about the people already on your team. Keeping your star players happy is just as important as finding new ones. Use recruitment tools to streamline your process and keep your onboarding plan sharp to help new hires hit the ground running.
With these tips, you’re all set to build a top-notch sales team.