The classic motivational phrase, ABC (Always be Closing), deserves a contemporary counterpart ABH, Always be Hiring.
Why?
Because sales success requires more than a great product and a market niche. You need professionals who can perform in the market trenches.
As hard as it is to thrive in sales, it is even harder to find stellar talent. Just like prospecting, your talent acquisition strategy must be calculated and consistent.
Don’t worry, you won’t be constantly interviewing candidates. Instead, you’ll do the groundwork now, before you have a hiring need, so you’re ready whenever one arises.
No, It Does Not Take 36 Days to Hire Top Sales Talent
You’ve likely seen statistics claiming it takes less than 40 days to hire. The data point rarely shares the industry, location or experience level of the people hired so quickly.
And narrowly considering time to hire ignores how long it takes to onboard your new employee. Even the most experienced salesperson will not immediately know everything about your organization, processes, products and clients.
According to data from the RAIN Group, it takes 3 months to hire a rep and get them ready for initial buyer interactions. After 9 months on the job, they achieve competency and become a top performer at 15 months.
How to Revamp Your Talent Acquisition Strategy for Faster Hiring and Better Retention
Don’t look for a Jack or Jill of All Trades
Do not plug gaps on your sales team with a Jack or Jill of all trades. Get specific. Imagine your ideal sales team and write out all the roles. For each role, fill in the key traits and skills that person would have on Day 1.
Kickstart your brainstorming with this list of 7 overlooked traits talent sourcing experts use to vet candidates. You also want employees who have a high sales IQ.
What is sales IQ?
Salespeople with a high sales IQ:
- Read people
- Think on their feet
- Spot issues and turn them into opportunities
- Build relationships with your client base.
Pick a talent sourcing and hiring method
There are 3 main ways you can source talent for a thriving team.
1. Build an in-house team
A customized recruiting strategy allows you to increase your market intel and improve your company’s bottom line. If you don’t want to outsource hiring, you can create an in-house team to recruit sales talent.
Do not overwork your Human Resources (HR) team
Most companies rely on HR for recruiting and hiring. However, they are often already overworked. This is why you need a team that solely focuses on recruiting, testing and vetting.
2. Develop key partnerships
Some companies create partnerships with colleges and other groups to help them ferret out potential sales candidates for the future. If you have the money and resources, this strategy can pay off down the line.
3. Work with talent-sourcing experts
Many forward-thinking companies use professional talent acquisition companies to fill in the gap. (They already have the networks to keep sales talent on tap.)
The main takeaway here is…
Whatever you do, you need to do it both strategically and quickly.
Talent acquisition strategy tip: Skip the job ads
When you place ads, you’re vying for an ever-shrinking pool of talent. This can lead to high turnover rates, meaning that the issue is never really resolved. It just kicks the can down the road and could end up costing the company money in the long run.
Streamline your onboarding
15 months is a long time to wait for your new hire to become a top-performing salesperson.
And that assumes they last 15 months.
Research indicates that 20% of turnover occurs in the first 45 days. At the 6-month point, 86% of new hires have decided how long they plan to stay at a company.
You need to get everything right from Day 1 to make a good first impression. Refine your onboarding process now so you don’t lose top talent later.
Find the best and upgrade the rest
To create a truly thriving team, you need to hire the best and invest in your current sales reps. Nurture their capabilities and, equally important, keep them motivated.
According to a 2022 Gartner survey, 89% of sellers are burnt out. On top of that, about one-quarter reported feeling “drag” at work. Those sellers are less motivated, close fewer deals and are more likely to seek new jobs.
Seasoned sales professionals do not grow on trees
Your current team includes skilled salespeople. You do not want to lose them to burnout or drag. Training and upskilling are ways to maintain their motivation while further developing skills they’ll use to help your company succeed. It’s a win-win.
Ready to Hire Top Sales Talent? Call Us
Streamlining your talent acquisition strategy is vital for quickly hiring and retaining top sales talent. You don’t have to do it on your own.
At ProActivate, we handle the heavy lifting for you. Together, we’ll develop your ideal candidate profile. Then our Talent Acquisition Managers find and vet candidates who meet your criteria.
For more information on locating the best sales talent to fill your vacancies, call us. At ProActivate, we know how to link top sales talent with hungry sales companies. We have worked with Fortune 500 companies as well as small startup businesses with sales recruiting strategies.
