Do you struggle to find good, new salespeople?
If you do, you’re not alone. Many of our clients say recruiting strong salespeople is an endless challenge. With the current strong job market, it’s harder than ever. Even so, we’ve seen companies build great teams in good and bad hiring markets. Based on our experience, we’ve developed a list of the top sources for new salespeople. These ideas for recruiting new sales team members will get you winners every time!
Here are some of the top sources: ideas for recruiting new sales team members
Source 1: Your Business Network
Tap into your best customers, vendors, and business partners. These folks know your company. Your most satisfied customers appreciate your services. Your top customers are typically happy to recommend staff.
If you have a solid relationship with teaming partners, they have a stake in your success. They too will be happy to recommend new salespeople. Be proactive with these groups. Ask them for referrals. Alert them when you have openings.
Source 2: Internal Referral Sources
The next idea for recruiting new sales team members is to seek referrals. Employees are the top source of referrals for new hires. Encourage your staff to refer potential sales candidates
As a bonus: staff-referred new employees report higher job satisfaction and stay longer with employers.
Want more of these referrals? Put a formal process in place and give rewards for referrals. Or, go big and hold parties…see below
Hold sourcing parties
Hold a party and supply free food. Ask employees from all departments to come. With their mobile devices powered-up, ask partygoers to hunt down potential sales candidates in their personal social networks.
Make it fun. Make it a contest/game for providing the most referrals. These events can give you candidates for open-jobs and create a bench of prospects. This is also a great way to build camaraderie with other departments.
Source 3: Internal Staff
The 3rd idea for recruiting new sales team members is to recruit! Recruit new salespeople from other departments. Current employees in purchasing, customer service, etc. might be interested in sales. Make sure you promote any job openings to all current employees. Heck, invite them to your sourcing party (see above).
Source 4: Social Media
Social media is a great idea for recruiting new sales team members. If you want to build a great sales team, hire for attitude and aptitude. You can always teach the skills.
First, define the attitude and aptitude you require in new salespeople. Need help testing sales candidates for attitude and aptitude? Request a copy our free testing guide on how to test sales candidates.
Next, think about where you can find individuals with your defined traits. Look to social media. Identify where these types of folks hang out online.
Launch a social media contest. Get creative. For example, a top ad agency invited folks interested in selling for them to post a video of the candidate selling a brick.
Source 5: A Bench of Prospects
Always be recruiting. Salespeople have one of the highest churn rates of any profession. Face it, your sales folks will leave. Create a bench of potential hires.
Keep great potential hires in your orbit. Add them to your social networks. Invite them to events. Send out email announcements to your potential list when you have openings.
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