Having spent 16 years helping highly sales driven organizations hire salespeople who can really sell, getting the right applicants to apply is critical. We’ve created this Sales Hiring E-course to help get your company hiring better salespeople.

In the previous section of this Advanced Hiring System E-course you’ve gotten your headline written.

We now want to tell the best sales applicants why your company is the kind of company that values sales superstars. Here’s where we want to talk about the unique benefits of working in your company…

And to tell applicants what makes your company a good place to apply

Make sure your claims are believable and include facts to support your claims

What are the special qualities to your company?

Here are some things top sales performers will want to see to consider your company:

Is your company a recognized industry leader? (Include “According to our J.D. Powers” or “The Wall Street Journal says…” )
Is this a salary position? (Very important to clearly articulate that in your ad.)
Is your company locally-based?
Does your company promote from within?
Does your company have a unique product that with the right sales talent is very hot?
Is your commission structure extremely generous?
Do top performers succeed quickly?

When I write copy I remind myself “Generalities roll off the mind of the prospect, like water off the back of a duck.” Get specific in your ad and give your prospective superstar salesperson reasons to consider your company…

“Last year, despite the economy Acme added clients.”
vs
“Last year, despite the economy Acme increased its client list by 13% including 2 of the Fortune 500.”

“Top compensation”
vs
“According to Salary.com our salespeople earn 20% more than others in our field”

“Highest rated company”
vs
“Recognized by Standard and Poors as #2 rated Insurance company”

Get the idea?

Be specific, it adds to the ad’s impact

Why are we running this ad? Answer: “Our company is a home for top sales performers.
We are committed to making sure your unique skills as a top sales performer are rewarded. We mean that — we pay higher commissions, a bigger base and give a more generous expense account than anyone else.

We believe that in a free market economy great salespeople make great things happen. We want the best salespeople in the world on our team. Sales skills are a talent in short supply and we are always willing to talk if you are a real top performer

Does that make sense?

A philosophy that says top sales talent is worth its weight in gold is what this course is all about.

Top sales talent does not come from training…
Training enhances it…But you either have it or you don’t.

We’ve covered a lot of ground on how to make your ad specific and why that is important.

Stay tuned

In the next section we’re going to get into a trick we’ve been teaching our clients that will amaze you.

It’s been a tough winter for many in the US and Europe, but that’s changing now… Spring Holidays are about rebirth and rejuvenation.

As I was out on my morning daily run along the sea, it reinforced that we need to take the time to enjoy what we’ve got.

At 61 I am happy to be still going out on my daily run. Maybe I’m not as fast as I used to be but, for me still getting out every day and “crank out the miles” is a great part of the day.

If running isn’t your thing, (I can see the looks on some of your faces as you read this) pick something for yourself, whether it’s going for a walk or a bike ride, do it and enjoy the season. Work will be there when you get back.

At 61 I can tell you without a doubt, health trumps wealth. And mental health drives health.

Speaking of enjoying the spring, I am traveling all of May. First stop is my 40th W&L reunion in Lexington, VA where I will, of course, run the college running trail — the Turkey Trot. Haven’t set foot on it since 1974 – should be fun!

Does the AHS System really work?

Here’s a story I love to tell about how a Tire Changer was selected by the Advanced Hiring System — and how he lead our client’s sales department in new business development.

Erica M is a sales manager in San Francisco at a radio station. She had been a client for a number of years. She knew the system and had used it successfully for over two years.

One day I got a message from her, “Call me immediately. I need to talk.” I returned her call (our clients get unlimited real time access to a real person) and she asked me to look at applicant Jose R.

He profiled well. He had good values. And a good personality style. In fact, he graphed perfectly according to Advanced Hiring System standards.

I asked her if she had interviewed the applicant.

“Yes, I’ve interviewed him using the AHS 4-Part Interview Module.” She said, “He interviews well. Highly motivated, articulate. He’s accomplished quite a lot, given his situation”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

It turns out that Jose R is a young man who married very young. And, given that he married young, he took the first job he could find to support his family…

Busting tires in the back of tire store. He had earned his GED in the evenings.

When Jose heard the ad on the radio station looking for salespeople he applied. Although he scored well on the profiles we use in the Advanced Hiring System, Jose wasn’t the kind of applicant a sales manager expects to hire.

Erica is located in California. Unemployment premimums are killer and she was extremely cautious. Too, Jose was rough he lacked grooming skills, which count in salesmanship.

In talking with her, since he had done so well in the Advanced Hiring System evaluation, I suggested she use some sort of trainee position for a period of 45 days.

At the end of the period if he had demonstrated ability, she would switch him to sales.

The story has a very happy ending. Six months later he led her sales department in new business development the following year he was overall top biller.

He was a natural salesperson who just needed to be discovered. There are people who have the ability to sell but they’ve never applied because their resume doesn’t have sales experience.

Stay turned to find out what makes Jose tick and how if you think “people don’t want to work today” you might be just going about it wrong.

Stay tuned in the next section I’m going to show you how to find applicants to apply for your sales position who are highly motivated.