Why Are Sales Reps Rejecting Your Offers?

Many companies hunt for sales reps with experience in their niche industry. Typically, the supply of these candidates is limited giving sales reps an advantage when negotiating offers. If you are searching for that “needle in a haystack” sales candidate, a comprehensive sourcing strategy is essential in delivering a qualified candidate pool. Yet, let’s assume you have invested wisely in a good recruiting process that has produced a sales candidate that you would like to hire. What hurdles must your successfully scale next?

Be prepared to overcome these three challenges in your efforts to recruit sales candidates.

1. Compensation:
For lateral moves, the average bump in base pay is 10-20% to have a solid player move over to your side of the court. If the position is a promotion with more responsibility and higher expectations, that percentage may rise to 20-30%. Are you prepared to offer your sales candidate more than they currently earn? Are you equipped to manage the possibility that you may need to pay a new hire more than your current sales team?

2. Value Add:
Let’s assume you have successfully scaled the compensation hurdle. Now, let’s consider other factors that may be just as important as money. Switching employers is a major risk/reward decision for sales candidates. Best to have something to offer in addition to money to attract a superstar sales professional. Consider these value-adds: Is your company mission rewarding? Does your company have a reputation for innovation? Would your employees say the company is managed by solid leadership?

3. Career Growth:
A superstar sales rep needs to see a future that is golden. If your company does not offer the next step in their career growth, why should they make the move? For sales professionals, career growth could be a bigger territory, more innovative products or services to sell, or the opportunity to advance into sales management. Be assured that the status quo is not an option for superstars. They crave new challenges where they get their achievement needs met.

Pete Caputa, author of 10 Surprising Criteria Salespeople Look for When Choosing a New Company, offers additional insights on this subject.

Recruiting “needle in the haystack” sales reps is very challenging. Once a superstar is found, be prepared to show your best hand if you want them to accept your offer.

If you want to learn how to source, attract, and successfully hire superstar sales reps, give us a call at 317-578-1310