How To Find Good Sales People

1. Select in haste and you'll probably repent at leisure

I sometimes see Sales Managers who are so desperate to recruit replacement staff that they rush the process and indeed do pay the price later on. Recruiting should never be rushed. A good sales manager will never allow themselves to get into such a situation, because they will always have alternative "waiting in the wings" to move onto their team. More about this later on.

2. Good people are found

My good friend and mentor of some 30 years, E. James Rohn has a great phrase. Jim says, "Don't send your ducks to Eagle School.... they'll still be ducks!" What Jim means is that even good training will not make up for poor selection. You are much better off carefully finding a good person who is keen to grow and then training them to be even better.

3. Always be prospecting for good people EVERYWHERE

Even when you do recruit well about 1/3 of your people are probably not going to work out. Planned attrition and small turnover is a sign of a healthy Team. It is a job which involves us constantly "prospecting" for suitable new recruits and putting them into a pipeline, so they are "on tap" when you need them. It's just like selling where a successful sales person should be constantly prospecting for new clients and putting them into the pipeline.

4. Consider these sources of new sales people

• Your community.
  
• Clubs and organisations you belong to.
  
• Your social circle.
  
• People you are buy from.
  
• Your customers (only if they leave).
  
• Leads generated by members of your sales team.

5. Create a recruiting "bonus" system to reward your sales people

Encourage your existing sales people to be on the look out for good people to join your team. You'll probably find that your good performers are happy to do this. They won't feel threatened and the fact is "Good people know good people!" and "Good people can attract good people!". Develop a three-part bonus plan so "spotters" on your team have a financial incentive to keep a look out for good "prospects".

With this system, their first payment would come when their prospect joins your team. The second payment is made upon completion of this new person's training. The third payment is only made when the new recruit attains budget. This System encourages your sales person to help their recruit to become successful.

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