Recruitment Trends
Where to Recruit Salespeople
Introduction
The best salespeople are a mix of outgoing and introverted, but they always have that one thing in common: They're persistent. If you want to find your own top performers, you need to be creative about how you recruit them. Here are some ideas for sourcing the best salespeople for your team:
Social networks
Social networks like Facebook are a great place to find salespeople as they usually include their information about their work as well as their personal interests. This helps you get a feel of what kind of personality they have.
LinkedIn is one of the best places to look for salespeople who are already working in your field or industry and may be looking for new opportunities. Read on to find out more.
LinkedIn makes it easy for people to see what you're up to at work and allows you to express if you're open to more work or being hired full time. You can also see a person's work history and skill set. You can find salespeople in your own network or your company's network by simply typing in the key words you are looking for in the search bar.
If you work at a large organisation that has many departments across different industries (and even countries), chances are good that one of those departments might have some potential salespeople working within its ranks! You can find these people by going to your company's LinkedIn page and looking at "people" then filtering from there.
Sales conferences and trade shows
If you're looking to recruit top-notch salespeople, trade shows are an excellent place to start. Trade shows are great because they allow you to meet potential candidates in person and speak with them face-to-face, which can help you better determine whether or not they are right for your company.
You may also be able to post a job on the trade show website itself, depending on what your participation level is or what the organisers will allow. If you are able to, be sure to take advantage of this opportunity whenever possible! Many companies have had success with this approach by offering free entry passes or other incentives as part of their hiring strategy.
Job boards
Job boards are a great place to find salespeople. They are looking for jobs, and they have a specific skill set. Some of the more popular ones are Indeed, Glassdoor and Careerjet.
Specialised Recruiters
If you're looking for someone with experience in selling specific software or IT services, you might want to consider hiring a recruiter who is familiar with those industries. They will definitely be able to help identify the best candidates using their knowledge of what makes someone good at their job (and what doesn't).
Industry publications
The only thing better than finding a salesperson through an industry publication is finding them via local and national trade journals. If you don't already have a favourite, consider starting with the following:
- Industry publications like Billboard, Advertising Age, Beverage World, Automotive News, Progressive Grocer.
- Regional publications like Ballarat News, Gisborne Herald or Staten Island Advance.
- Trade journals for specific industries, like Police Chief, Engineering News Record, Design News, Education Digest, Energy Weekly News, Aviation Week and Space Technology, and Traffic World.
College campuses
College campuses often have career fairs where you will find students who are either graduating or have just graduated and are looking for a job, or those who have been working for a few years and are thinking about switching careers.
Be sure to target specific majors when recruiting on campus: talk to students in fields like accounting, marketing, business management, psychology and others that require an analytical approach. These types of degree programs often attract people who enjoy problem solving, analysing data and making decisions based on the information they gather, which make for great salespeople.
Look for students who have done internships at companies related to your industry, but also look at how they performed during those experiences by asking questions such as "What were your goals while doing this internship?" or "How did you measure your success?" If someone was able to hit their targets during an internship, there is a strong chance they will do well in their new role with your company!
Employee referrals
Employee referrals are the most effective way to find top-performing sales talent. Why? Because employees are more likely to refer someone they know, who fits their organisation's culture, and who has a track record of success. They are very unlikely to recommend someone whom they don't think will perform well. In fact, according to research by Harvard Business School professor Michael Beer and MIT Sloan School of Management professor Steven Levy, "employee referrals are widely accepted as the best source of top talent for every industry studied." Giving a little incentive like a finder's fee might also be worth the investment, since you could potentially be getting someone that will bring in revenue as a salesperson.
Be creative, and don't overlook offline sources.
Recruitment is a lot like dating. You have to be creative, and you can't overlook any source of leads. The best way to find the right people for your sales team is by expanding your search beyond just online sources such as LinkedIn and job boards. Offline resources that are already available in your community could be a big help, such as:
Newspaper classifieds
Use the classifieds section of local newspapers to find salespeople or people simply looking for work. Sometimes, people who are in great need of a job turn out to be good salespeople because they are willing to work hard.
Local magazines
Local magazines may feature salespeople or potential salespeople who are not actively looking for a job. You can still reach out to them to explore possibilities. If not, you can always keep them on your radar.
Conclusion
I hope that this article has helped you to think about the best places for recruiting salespeople. But if you're still not sure where to find your next superstar, don't worry! As I've mentioned before, there are lots of other options out there besides these. What's important is that you keep trying until you find something that works for your business --- and don't be afraid to experiment with different methods until then!
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