You've advertised your job and posted on social media and you still can't find the right candidate. Now what?
The most desirable salespeople are generally ones who are already successfully employed. You'll need to first figure out who those people are, and then reach out to them personally and let them know about the role.
How to Identify Passive Talent
Ask Your Team
Who are their competitors?
Who have they worked with in the past who understands your industry?
Go to Trade Shows
Walk the show and initiate conversations.
Who stands out in a booth? Get their contact information and reach out to them after the show.
Target Similar Companies With premium LinkedIn accounts, it's pretty easy to identify the salespeople working at companies in your desired industry and/or location. Here's a quick process to follow:
Make a list of 20 Companies where the products and/or channels align with what you need for your position.
Look for the individuals in sales roles and send connection invites.
Message anyone who accepts that you would like to talk with them about their background and career goals. Do NOT send a link to your job description- this gives candidates the ability to self-eliminate from the process. You need a chance to sell the role based on the conversation, not the bullet points in your ad.
When you're on the hunt for sales talent, that really is what you have to do, hunt.
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