How to Identify the Best Manufacturing Sales Candidates

You want to grow your business and take it to the next level. That’s going to mean increasing your sales volume. How can you hire the right manufacturing sales candidates who are going to believe in the vision of your company? How can you find people with the creativity and energy to catapult sales?

Look for Smart People

It’s been said that the key to being successful is to surround yourself with people smarter than you. Consider looking at CPA’s, college professors, and other brilliant minds. After all, if someone understands astrodynamics then they are probably smart enough to sell your product. Many people are looking to make a career change, so just because they are not formally trained in sales doesn’t mean that they won’t excel at the challenge.

While these candidates are not the traditional model of a salesperson, smart people bring a new perspective to the sales situation. They are trained problem solvers and bring a creative approach to what is essentially a puzzle: Sales are X amount and we want them to be Y. How do we do that?

College campuses are a good place to find smart people. Career fairs are happening all the time and by setting up a booth you can inform people of the nature of your business, your product, your processes and your culture.

Watch What You are Buying

Pay attention when someone sells you something, like a car or insurance or jewelry or clothing. If you bought it from them then they have already demonstrated their sales ability. Pay even closer attention if your were upsold. You know what would look nice with that shirt? This sweater. If you bought the sweater, too, then you may have been purchasing it from your next sales superstar.

Check please!

Waiting tables takes a special set of skills including working hard, thinking on your feet, juggling multiple tasks, and keeping customers happy. Sound like traits you would like in your sales staff?

Many waiters aren’t even aware that they have been groomed for a successful career in sales, but working for tips is essentially the same as working for sales commission.

The Customer Perspective

Consider looking at your customer base. If someone bought your product, you have already established a relationship of trust. Who better to sell the merits of your product then someone who believed in it enough to buy it themselves? If someone can tell prospective clients, “I own this and I love it so much I decided to change careers and sell it,” that is the best endorsement you can get.

Rethink Your Brand

This might be a less obvious maneuver when recruiting sales specialists but it could be instrumental in landing the right candidate. It can make the difference between a potential sales person considering working for your company or not.

James Ellis, the host of a weekly podcast on recruitment marketing called The Talent Cast, says, “The perception potential applicants have about your employer brand has the biggest overall impact on your recruiting and hiring efforts.” The perception of your employer brand when positive can attract potential applicants but when negative can drive away candidates. It is much easier to acquire skilled talent when they are beating down your door to work for you. But if you have no or low branding you will end up paying more of a premium in order to get candidates to work for your company.

Attracting the right sales professionals can be challenging but it is a necessary ingredient for growing your business. Consider using a company with the knowledge and expertise to help you in this search and you can watch your sales soar!