Running a successful sales team isn’t just about getting employees to hit their targets. It’s also about making the most of the talented staff that you have, and knowing how to hire well. In an industry as competitive as sales, you need to have an edge if you want to make the deal ahead of your competitors- and given that 80% of sales are routinely made by the top 20% of sales people in your business, it pays to have the best people on board.
But what will attract top players to your business, especially in an environment where they could just as easily decide to go with a rival company?
Here are our tips for making your company irresistible to sales candidates.
Create a desirable employer brand
Employer branding has become much more important to companies in the past few years, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise: after all, the way in which your company is perceived in the market can have a massive impact not only on your sales deals, but in the appeal you hold for new candidates.
Make sure that the impression you give them is a good one. Invest some time into building your presence on social media by sharing industry-relevant posts and content, and ask your staff to post reviews of your company on sites like Glassdoor, the better to create a strong brand that appeals to jobseekers when they look for information about your company.
You should also invest your time into foregrounding your employees. Give them a chance to speak, and to sell the company for you, especially as candidates trust employees three times more than employers to provide information about working for the company. Post employee stories and videos on your website and include ‘day in the life’ blog posts alongside pictures of company social events. It’ll let potential candidates see what life at your company is like for themselves, as well as engaging them with authentic and informative content.
Offer a solid compensation package
One of the best ways you can motivate your sales people- and attract new ones– is by offering them the right kind of incentive. This can come in the form of rewards for the highest-achieving team members, or the package that comes with the job, such as a solid bonus scheme, a company car and other perks like gym membership or health insurance. Though it might not seem like much, it can be the deciding factor that convinces Salespeople your company will take the best care of them and motivate them in ways that a competitor can’t.
It’s important to bear in mind that this compensation package shouldn’t be fixed, either. Most organisations make changes to their sales compensation packages every year, and you should too: keep your finger on the pulse of what’s changing in the market, and the changing desires of your team, so you can continue to offer them the right kind of inspiration when it comes to job applications. After all, the millennial generation, many of whom are now entering the workforce for the first time, are placing a greater emphasis on flexible working hours than ever before: does your compensation package reflect this?
Create career progression paths
Training your sales team as managers can improve win rates by 9%, yet 47% of organisations don’t offer a formal coaching plan. People- especially ambitious sales people- want to know they can progress at their company, so put a concrete progression path in place, clearly mapping out how new recruits can work their way up the ladder at your company. Hold regular feedback sessions, appoint coaches for new starters, and encourage your employees to take training sessions that will improve their skillset. Ultimately, this will pay off in a much more engaged workforce- as they will be more invested in a future with you- and make your company a destination for ambitious sales professionals everywhere.
Never stop learning
The market is always changing, so your team should always be learning. Invest in yearly training sessions on the latest trends in the market, and take the time in interviews to thoroughly establish where your candidate feels they can grow, and what they want out of their job. This means that, if you take them on, you’ll have a starting point to conduct regular review meetings and decide how best to upskill them and prepare them for their future within the company.
Investing in your employees’ future like this will ultimately benefit you twofold: you’ll increase job satisfaction (and hopefully garner positive reviews on LinkedIn and Glassdoor as a result) and you’ll also end up with a more efficient, skilled workforce who will increase your bottom line.
attracting best sales candidates with BMS Performance
We know what engages the best employees, and we work with companies to make that happen. Let’s talk: get in touch here, or browse our Performance Hub for more inspiration.
