In today’s competitive sales world, the fight for top talent is fiercer than ever. The rise of technology – particularly the internet and related devices – has created a much more accessible environment for sales to thrive. However, this accessibility means that sales people and other potential employees have a much clearer insight into your organisation and that of your competitors, so it’s important to differentiate yourself and stand out from the pack. You need to build, manage and maintain a superior employer brand to ensure you’re attracting the best sales people you can – but how?
Hone in on social sites
When it comes to reviewing your social media, you need to do more than simply update your organisation’s LinkedIn profile. Potential employees will likely seek you out on Facebook, Twitter and – much to the dismay of managers everywhere – Glassdoor. The latter is a social review site where current and previous employees can post anonymous reviews of organisations, which the public and other job seekers can review at any stage. This means jobseekers now have greater access to ‘insider’ company information than they’ve ever had before, gaining vital insights on everything from how management treat staff through to what the company culture is like.
It’s easy to bury your head in the sand when it comes to maintaining your Glassdoor profile, as this kind of platform almost always attracts some negative feedback from employees. However, it’s an incredibly important tool for your company to champion as you continue your search for the best sales talent. Glassdoor allows you to respond publically to all reviews and take ownership of your organisational messaging on the site, uploading images, branding and information to support your profile.
Highlight what sets you apart from competitors
What’s your USP? When it comes to standing out from your competitors, you need to shout loud and proud about what makes your company a great place to work. Write a list of what sets you apart and communicate this through your social media accounts, on your website, in your job ads and in interviews. Consider the following questions:
- Why would a sales person want to work for you?
- Can they sell new and exciting products?
- Are there growth opportunities?
- Do you offer the ability to earn good bonus?
- What are the training programmes like?
- Is there a strong work culture?
Turn employees into brand ambassadors
Speaking of workplace culture, do your employees feel invested enough in your company brand to share the news to others? Your aim should be to create an environment where your sales people want to promote and share their experiences with their peers, whether that’s in person or via online platforms such as LinkedIn. A personal social media ‘share’ of a company message is worth so much more than one coming from your official company accounts. In fact, a brand message shared by an employee reaches 561% further than the same message shared by the official brand channel, according to MSLGROUP.
A good brand salesperson is engaged on all levels, believes in your organisational mission and lives and breathes your company values. Sales people respond well to challenges and rewards, so incentivise them to share their positive experiences with others by offering perks for positive referrals.
Communicate your employer brand and bring it to life
Once you’ve got a team of brand ambassadors at the ready, make the most of them. Ask your sales people to show others what it’s like to work at your organisation by taking part in videos, interviews and company photos to help bring your brand to life. Share these snippets across your organisation’s social profiles and be sure to actively manage these platforms to engage both your existing sales people and potential new candidates. It’s no good to simply have an account on various platforms if you’re not actively using them to entice and interact with your audience.
Practice what you preach
If a sales person joins you with the understanding that you offer great training opportunities, they’ll feel very let down if you fail to deliver the goods. If you promise a great company culture, work perks and a solid development programme, make sure you back this up. You need to continually drive your employer brand to retain your top sales people and attract fresh talent, so don’t get complacent!
The bottom line
You could be the best sales company in the world but without a strong employer brand, you’d struggle to recruit the right people. How you’re perceived by potential sales people is vitally important, so make sure you follow the above steps to help set your organisation ahead of the competition.