Especially during an economic downturn, the number of sales job applicants is on the rise. Employers are getting more job posting responses than they know what to do with. When do you find the diamond in the rough and fill the job, don’t forget to show some respect to those you didn’t hire.

Every rejected application deserves an official “No, thank you” in a timely manner. This practice is good business. It helps each applicant move on, as well as shows you and your company to be professional and compassionate. It shows you care about following the proper procedures and to set an example for your employees to do the same. These are important qualities for a company to have when working toward attracting the best sales talent available.

A proper rejection for each applicant you turn down also helps you avoid any possible accusations of discrimination or other violations. We recommend you use an official rejection letter. The AHS Sales Hiring Course provides a suggested sample rejection letter template ready for download. Below is a small quoted section of the rejection letter we provide to AHS Sales Hiring Course members:

“I have carefully reviewed your resume. While your credentials are impressive, we have

narrowed our search to several individuals with experience and specific qualifications

that more closely match our requirements than do yours.”

Notice the clear, professional language. Notice that there are no mentions of the applicant’s personal details, past job experience, resume information, etc. Keep the wording focused on having found better-qualified applicants, not on how or why the rejected applicant didn’t measure up.

• Send the same simple, concise rejection letter to every rejected applicant. You should also send all the rejection letters at the same time. If you’re consistent and provide the same respectful wording and timing for every applicant rejection, no one will have grounds for discrimination claims.

• You might mention in the rejection letter that you intend to keep the applicant’s resume on file and will let them know if a suitable position opens up. Some applicants might be great for your sales team in different jobs than what you have available right now. Remember, if you say this to one rejected applicant, say it to them all. It’s best to stick to the same wording in every rejection letter, even if you don’t think you would ever call on some of those applicants again.

A professional rejection letter also expresses your gratitude. Tell the applicants you appreciate their time and their interest. Even when sales jobs are scarce, it’s important to thank people for wanting to work for you. It’s good business and it is good karma for attracting the great salespeople your company deserves.

Think you know what to look for in top salespeople and how to find them? Test your knowledge with our five questions below. You might be surprised that you share some of the most common misconceptions about how to hire a great sales team.

1. A salesperson’s skills matter more than their values. True or False?

That statement is false. Skills are important, but they can be learned. Values are what motivate top sales performers to keep striving to succeed. Make sure your sales applicants have similar values that top sales performers do. What are those values? Keep reading.

1. The top two values a great salesperson should have are commitment and confidence. True or False?

No doubt, those are two important qualities in a top sales performer, but they aren’t the values at the very top of the list. You want to hire salespeople who value money and power. When they strive for great wealth, they bring great wealth to your company. When they work toward the power positions of sales performers at the top of their game, these salespeople will do what it takes to achieve success for your business.

1. Only interview new salespeople when you have a job opening. True or False?

You should always be interviewing new sales talent with potential for greatness. Hiring the best sales performers means being open to finding them even when you don’t have job listings posted.

1. You can learn a lot about an applicant’s abilities and value to your company through their resume. True or False?

Though handy as a quick reference for the applicant’s experience, the resume itself is worthless in determining a salesperson’s value to your business. You must interview and perhaps even test the applicant for the values, personality traits and skills the sales job requires. For more information about conducting a proper job interview, become a member of the AHS Sales Hiring Course.

1. Your goal isn’t to find people who sell themselves to you. Instead, you want applicants with an entrepreneurial spirit who can overcome adversity and keep their emotions in check. True or False?

This statement is true. Great salespeople are leaders who can face challenges without taking things personally. We call these salespeople “A Players” and you want them on your team. Pay more attention to those qualities than to whether or not they “sold” you on themselves in the interview process.

To hire successful salespeople you need to be willing to do it differently than your competitors. Move past the old misconceptions and you’ll have a much better sales team for it.

Never take your sales recruiting skills for granted.  And never assume you’ve got all the answers until you get some sales hiring training under your belt.  Hiring mistakes can begin before the applicant is even in front of you for the first time.  If your old sales hiring habits keep creating stagnant (or worse) sales results, let these quick tips help steer you back on the right path.

1.       Start with Enticing Job Postings and Advertising

You’re actually starting the sales applicant screening process the moment your job listings are posted.  Writing enticing job ads is the first step for attracting top performing sales people to your company.  Save time and money on the hiring process by getting the right people in the interview chair.

2.       Never Underestimate the Power of a Great Headline

What makes a good salesman want to find out more about the job you’re offering? A great attention-grabbing headline.  Use specific details about the job benefits, when possible. Entice them in a headline that lays out exactly how much money they could make at your company in the first year or two.  For example, your headline might read “If You Don’t Want to Make Six Figures or More, You Need Not Apply.” Always be truthful with your headlines and ad content, but bring the most enticing details forward.

3.       Use Important Key Words to Attract the Right Applicants

If you want to know how to hire employees with great sales skills, appeal to the skills they feel they already  have and you need them to have. Use key words like independent, strong-willed and persuasive in your job candidate requirements. Top salespeople want to be where those traits are rewarded.  The role of sales recruiting gets much easier when you appeal to sales professional egos in this way.

4.       Learn that What Makes a Good Salesman Might Be a Surprising Discovery

Don’t just depend on your skills regarding how to take interview questions. Successful sales recruiting requires more. Use sales assessment testing to determine each sales candidate’s values and sales personalities. See this section in the AHS Sales Hiring Course for more details.

5.       Know How to Take Interview Questions like a Hiring Expert

Vary the kinds of questions you ask in each interview. Ask your applicants to answer fully and creatively to resolve sales challenges they might face. The AHS Sales Hiring Course interview model is easy and comprehensive. The questions are already provided for your convenience.

6.       Be Professional.  Be Fair. And Be Quiet.

Sometimes how to hire employees with the traits you need requires more than just the right process. Be professional in all communication. Be fair by using the same testing and interview questions with every applicant.  And let the applicant do most of the talking.  This is their time to shine and your time to make note of whether or not they can.

7.       How to Hire Employees with Top Sales Potential Starts With You

Think successful sales recruiting depends solely on the quality of sales applicants? Think again. Going about sales recruiting the proper and professional way has a huge impact on your hiring success.

These tips can enhance your sales hiring skills by leaps and bounds, providing your company with the support needed for better sales. To be truly great at sales recruiting, use the comprehensive information provided by the AHS Sales Hiring Course.