Good salespeople aren't hard to find. I'll say it again, because everybody believes the opposite. They aren't hard to find. What's hard is getting them to want you when everything about your hiring process tells them you're not a serious sales organization. Good reps vet you as hard as you vet them, and right now your job ad and your posturing managers are running them off.
Hard to find usually means didn't work out
When somebody tells me salespeople are hard to find, what they usually mean is they've hired a few who didn't work out and they've translated that into a talent shortage. The good ones are out there. They just have to see they're walking into a mature organization that's going to grow, develop them, and put more money in their pocket.
Read your job ad the way a top rep reads it
Most companies let HR write the sales ad, so it comes out as a job description. You get lines like must use CRM daily. Put yourself in a strong rep's chair reading that. First thought is duh. Second thought is these people don't know what selling is. The ad you wrote to attract talent is filtering out the exact people you wanted.
The interview goes both ways
Your interview is a two-way vet whether you know it or not. Good salespeople are experts at reading people and staying calm under pressure, and they're doing that to you for the entire hour. So when a manager leans back and postures, you don't even know how to sell, a strong candidate clocks it instantly. They already researched you. They already know who's worked for you. They may have called those people before they ever shook your hand.
A good rep doesn't walk in hoping to get the job. They walk in deciding whether you're worth their time. Unless what you're offering beats what they've already got, they're going to keep the job they have. That's the same instinct that makes them elite. They qualify you the way they'd qualify a prospect.
Signal what you actually are
Write the ad like you're recruiting a professional instead of filling a seat. Have your leaders show competence and respect in the interview instead of puffing their chest out. Make it obvious this person gets developed and their income goes up. Do that and the people you were told don't exist start applying.
The talent is out there. Before you decide it isn't, go read your own job ad the way a great rep would.
Frequently asked questions
Are good salespeople hard to find?
No. Good salespeople are available when they can see they're joining a mature sales organization that will develop them and grow their income. Saying they're hard to find usually means the last few hires didn't work out.
Why can't I hire good salespeople?
It's usually the hiring process, not the talent pool. Job-description ads and managers who posture in interviews signal a weak sales organization, and strong reps walk.
What do top salespeople look for in an employer?
They vet you carefully. They want a serious, growing sales organization that will develop them and maximize what they earn. They research the company and read the interview closely before they decide.
