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It’s not difficult to get responses to a posting for a sales position – it’s likely that you will be inundated by resumes and calls. What’s more challenging is attracting top performers – outstanding talent who can make a significant impact on your bottom line from day one.

How Can You Sell Top Talent On Your Opportunity?

Significantly improve your job postings. These should be marketing pieces that speak directly to potential hires, not just dry job descriptions.

Skip “Sales representative is responsible for selling corporate products or services through the achievement of opportunity-based sales quotas.”

Replace with “You’ll cover a territory with a potential of 100 million unit sales.”

Ask questions. Grab their attention with pain points of top producers:

“Do you spend more time on admin tasks than you do on selling?”

“Does it get tougher to overachieve every month? At XYZ Corporation, we don’t punish you for being a top performer. ”

Think like top talent. What are they not getting where they are currently selling? What can you offer that’s better? Once you’ve gotten a top candidate in the door for an interview, keep their attention. Sales professionals get straight to the bottom line. Earn their respect by doing the same.

Consider some of their major worries:

  • What opportunity (accounts, industry or geography) does the position offer?
  • What is the immediate and long-term earning potential?
  • What is involved in training?
  • How quick is the expected ramp-up period?
  • Is there an adjusted quota during training?
  • Are the sales people respected at this company?
  • Will I be working with winners?

Be transparent. Let candidates know exactly what is involved in the hiring process. Who will they be interviewing with, how long will the process take. Follow up when you say you will. Top sales talent will just move on if the process drags or they don’t know where they stand.

Sell them on the benefits of working for you – a compensation plan that rewards excellence, opportunities for advancement, outstanding sales and service support.

Always be hiring. Make room for top performers when you find them. Don’t let a top producer go to the competitor because you don’t have a current opening. Star salespeople always earn their keep, so hire first, figure out where the budget for base salary comes from later.

At SMR Group Ltd, our experienced staffing partners help our clients position, attract, and keep top talent by helping them to present themselves as the most desirable place for standout candidates to work. Contact us today to learn more.


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