How to recruit a high-performing salesperson at the right price?

In 2017, 48% of companies planned to recruit at least one salesperson before 2018. However, a large majority of sales directors struggle to find the perfect candidate. Changes in the job market, as well as in the sales function itself, must lead us to rethink how we recruit and compensate salespeople. In this context, how can we recruit good salespeople at the right price?

Sales recruitment: many developments to consider

According to the StepStone study cited above, the sales profession suffers from a terrible paradox. While it has experienced significant expansion in recent years, it is also one of the profiles that recruiters struggle most to hire: the sales function is thus the 4th most difficult function to recruit.

Many factors can help explain this paradox of the sales function. Indeed, new entrants to the job market express different professional aspirations than their elders. Generation Y works and communicates differently; recruitment and management methods must therefore adapt to these “new” salespeople.

Furthermore, the job market is undergoing a profound digital transformation. Recruitment methods are becoming digital, as they now integrate social networks and online sourcing tools. However, recruiters and sales directors must familiarize themselves with these new digital tools, and also adapt their selection criteria.

All these developments are enough to explain the difficulties companies may experience in finding good salespeople, while respecting their compensation policy. So, what solutions are available to you to achieve this?

Sales recruitment: what criteria to consider?

Recruiting a good salesperson cannot be improvised. You need to start by establishing a list of relevant and measurable criteria to facilitate your talent search.

First, establish the ideal salesperson profile you wish to recruit. List the technical skills, as well as the relational skills (or soft skills) that seem essential to your sales organization. Note: this profile is merely a roadmap, not a goal to be achieved.

After establishing the profile of the salesperson you are looking for, rely on digital tools such as social networks, sourcing software, or job search engines to select the right profiles. These tools will allow you not only to find candidates during your ad-hoc recruitment campaigns, but also to continuously monitor the job market: make the most of them! To be effective, your talent search must be ongoing.

Finally, don’t forget to define your compensation policy in advance. According to a study conducted by Fed Business in 2014, salary was still the primary selection criterion between two equivalent positions for salespeople. It can therefore be a determining factor for recruiting, but also for engaging and retaining your sales force.

The recruitment of your salespeople must therefore adapt to the many changes affecting the job market. And while the right price may sometimes seem high, it should above all be considered an investment: one that will allow you to boost your sales performance while effectively recruiting your sales force.

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