When I first started hiring salespeople, the choices for advertising were greatly limited. We can only use newspapers, trade association publications and radio. It’s hard to be competitive in such a small playground.

Today, there are more online platforms to choose from. You can say we are living in exciting times but don’t rejoice just yet; most of these platforms are a total waste of time. Good thing that we constantly get feedback from our clients on which ones work well.

Let’s show you their top picks:

Craigslist – Yes, Craigslist is free or very inexpensive. But it’s at the top of our list because it works – and the price is right. There are things you need to do to get your ad relevant on this platform. And you MUST keep your ad at the top of the list without getting banned by Craigslist. Both RELEVANCE and TOP OF THE LIST are essential for Craigslist success.

ZipRecruiter – Our clients complain about their pricing and bad customer service, but ZipRecruiter works. They have a “boost” program that costs more but it’s supposed to get you more applicants. We hear mixed reports on this program but it’s worth considering in order to find out for yourself.

Indeed and Simply Hired – Tied on the 3rd spot, both Indeed and Simply Hired are aggregators that scrape other job boards. Clients have claimed that they got good results from Indeed. The sponsored ads go to the top of the list, but clients tell us they use the free job posting effectively. For $5 a day, you can run sponsored ads. Not bad at all.

Facebook – Facebook is huge! Facebook is everywhere and if you aren’t looking at Facebook then someone else is forwarding you things from Facebook. This platform is something you should use with the help of an expert. AHS has a module that puts Facebook to work for your recruitment.

These online platforms have their own advantages and disadvantages. The ball’s on your court now. You can select a couple of these platforms to start with and find out which one works well for your company.

How to Get a Flood of the Best Sales Applicants You’ve Ever Seen   

Before the Internet, if you wanted 100 applicants to apply for a sales job, your company needed to be in New York or LA. But today your business can be anywhere and you’ll still get a flood of applicants.

The key is to write an ad that welcomes the studs and chases away the slugs.

Most sales ads are too general.

They waver when describing what the applicant gets for applying to work at your company.

Most sound like an HR job description. They list everything the applicant has to do or have done. There is nothing about what the applicants get.

Help Wanted – Sales Ads in Monster  Just Plain Suck

Scan the Ads in Monster.  The ads all look alike and none talk to top sales performers.  (NOTE: We have found Monster to be a poor choice to advertise a sales job.)

To draw large numbers of the “right” applicants you’ve got to talk to your applicants. Tell them you believe sales talent is the rarest and most important talent in the business.

Talk about how you are looking to give them what they want most.

Top sales talent wants money and power. Tell them how your company is a money and power factory for top sales talent.

Prove the money part by giving specific numbers. Tell them what the highest-paid salesperson in your company earns. Or if you’re a new company, tell them what they’ll earn based on your compensation strategy.

And don’t buy the BS that Millenials don’t want money, that they’re looking to serve humanity. Top salespeople are High Practicals. Weak salespeople want to be loved. Strong salespeople want to close business and earn more money.

Want to see all the steps to hiring salespeople who can close deals — and make you a ton of money? We’ve prepared a video that gives you step by step instructions.

Start Hiring Great Salespeople
Download our Sales Hiring Roadmap & 3-Video Series To See How You Can Start Now

In the sales hiring process, the biggest challenge is managing your time investment. Anybody who has experienced sitting in an interview with a candidate who’s a total dud knows what that feels like.

The challenge is figuring out who you want to speak with and who to ignore from your applicants.

Top performers have similar beliefs and values.

We know this from having profiled nearly 200,000 applicants. When we’ve gone through and asked clients to profile their top performers, we’ve seen a 90% positive correlation. Not a misprint.

According to Abraham Maslow, the Father of American Psychology, salespeople are high practicals.

Great salespeople don’t wake up, open their eyes and say, “How can I serve humanity?”

Top salespeople wake up, open their eyes and ask themselves, “Where’s the Money” or “Where’s the Power?”

Money and power are two things that motivate genuine salespeople. They breathe a unique air from ordinary people. Every encounter with another human being is considered an opportunity to strike a deal or make a sale.

Power – Top performers are looking for a greater sense of control of their environment. Saving the whales is very low on their list. Yet sales hirers consistently choose salespeople who are not high practicals – and then wonder why their new hires can’t sell anything.

Money – People who are great at sales are always looking for the money. If they can’t find it, they create opportunities where they can get it. Money is a great motivation because it compels salespeople to be resourceful and ingenious in their methods. They don’t listen to a NO answer. All they hear is a YES.

Stop talking to applicants who don’t have money and power as their top values — if there ever was a secret in sales that’s worth revealing, it is this. You want to hire brilliant salespeople? Pay attention to what motivates them and show them the money.