Revamping Your Hiring Strategy: Overcoming Obstacles in Hiring Sales People

Are you struggling to find top talent for your sales team? Do you feel like you've hit a roadblock in your hiring strategy? It's time to revamp your approach and overcome the obstacles hindering your success. Hiring salespeople can be a challenging task, but with the right mindset, tools, and tactics, it is possible to attract and retain high-performing professionals who will drive revenue growth for your business. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most common hurdles in hiring salespeople and share practical tips on how to navigate them successfully. Get ready to transform your recruitment process and elevate your sales team's performance!
 
Introduction: Hiring Challenges in the 2023 Economy
 
As the economy continues to recover from the pandemic, businesses are starting to think about hiring again. There is concern still with the recession, frequent reports on the news about layoffs at well-known companies, and the lack of people looking for full time employment.
Another challenge is the skills gap. Many of the sales jobs that are available require some new skills that candidates don’t have always have. This means that employers need to either invest in training their employees or find candidates who already have the necessary skills which could take longer to find.  If you have a highly technical sale, this can be very difficult.
Finally, there is the issue of pay. With inflation on the rise, employers need to be conscious about how much they structure their sales compensation programs to give them the best chance to retain top talent. They also need to consider other benefits and perks that will make their employees happy and keep them from leaving for another job. This takes creative thought from the team.
All these challenges can make hiring salespeople seem like a daunting task. However, by being strategic and taking these challenges into account, businesses can find the right salespeople for their needs.
 
Assessing the Job Requirements
 
When it comes to hiring great salespeople, it's important to assess the job requirements for the role that you are trying to fill very carefully. This means considering the specific skills and experience that the position requires.
 
It's also important to consider the type of personality that will be a good fit for the role and the culture of your company.
Once you have a good understanding of the skills and experience that are required for the job, you can start to narrow down your candidates. This will help you ensure that you hire the best possible person for the job.
 
Identifying Key Skills and Qualifications
 
In order to identify the key skills and qualifications needed for a sales position, it is important to first understand the specific goals and objectives of the position. Once these are understood, you can then assess what skills and qualifications will be necessary to best meet those goals. For example, If you need to add a lot of new customers, then you want someone who is strong in business development and starting new relationships. If you need to further penetrate your existing customer base, then your goal is to hire a salesperson who has strong people skills.
Once you have a good understanding of the skills and qualifications needed for the position, you can start revamping your hiring strategy. One way to do this is by using behavioral-based interviewing techniques and assessments. This type of interviewing focuses on assessing a candidate's past behavior in order to predict their future behavior. 
Another way to revamp your hiring strategy is by using assessment tools such as aptitude tests or personality tests. These types of tests can help you identify candidates who have the potential to be successful in a sales role.
 
Recruitment Strategies for Finding Sales Talent
 
There are several recruitment strategies you can use to find sales talent. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
 
1. Use social media platforms like LinkedIn to reach out to potential candidates.
2. Connect with sales professionals through professional networking events and job fairs.
3. Post job openings on online job boards and company websites.
4. Create an employee referral bonus program where you reward your employees for helping you find top talent.
 
5. Conduct phone screens or video interviews with candidates to get a better sense of their sales skills and abilities. This allows you to react quickly with great candidates.
6. Invite finalist candidates to come in for an in-person interview so you can further assess their fit for the role.
 
Training and Onboarding of New Employees
 
An important step in revamping your hiring strategy is to ensure that you have a comprehensive training and onboarding program for new employees. This will not only help to ensure that new hires are properly prepared for their role, but will also help to build a foundation of trust and respect between the new hire and the company. 63% of companies are not effective at onboarding or have a structured training program.
When it comes to training, it is important to provide both class room and practical instruction. Classroom instruction can be delivered through power point presentations, 1-1 coaching sessions or online courses. Practical instruction, on the other hand, should involve actual hands-on experience with their manager or another successful sales rep that is a strong coach. This should include shadowing experienced employees, participating in role-playing exercises, or working on real-life projects.
Onboarding is just as important as training, and often times the two-go hand-in-hand. Onboarding helps to acclimate new hires into the company culture and expectations. It can also be used as a tool to continue building trust and respect between the new hire and the organization. There are a variety of ways to approach onboarding, but some common methods include orientations, mentorship programs, and job shadowing.
Both training and onboarding are essential components of any successful hiring strategy. By taking the time to invest in these areas, you can overcome any obstacles you may face when trying to hire salespeople (or any other type of employee).
 
Retaining Sales People Through Incentives
 
In order to keep your sales people motivated and incentivized, you need to offer them a competitive compensation package. This should include a base salary, commission, and bonuses. You also need to offer them a clear career path with opportunities for advancement.
The best way to retain your sales people is to create a positive and supportive work environment. This includes providing them with the resources they need to succeed, such as training and development opportunities. You should also give them regular feedback so they know how they are performing and where they can improve. 
Finally, you need to show your sales people that you value their contributions by recognizing their achievements. This can be done through formal awards, such as Sales Person of the Month, or informal acknowledgement, such as public praise at team meetings.
 
Conclusion
 
Revamping your hiring strategy is an important step to ensure that you are bringing on the right salespeople for your team. The cost to hire a great sales rep is twice as much as you think, so taking the time to look at your process and investing the time to revamp it can really pay off. By focusing on the candidate’s strengths, conducting thorough interviews and reference checks, and creating a comprehensive onboarding program, you can hire successful salespeople who will have a positive impact on your business. With these steps in place, you can rest assured that the next time you hire someone for the sales team—it won’t be another disappointment.
 
New England Sales Solutions can help you in revamping your process or conduct the searches for you. Reach out to syelleNESS@gmail.com to learn more.