Every client wants to hire the best salesperson on the planet. Every client wants to hire the salesperson that will close every deal, convert every customer and be their next superstar.
But here is the reality… most clients simply are not able to attract that talent. Here’s why;
- They are a sales Superstar for a reason. That reason may not be just down to their individual capability.
Stop to consider the marketing, products, price, and / or service of competitors that may be enabling their success. The support and environment that a salesperson is provided with contributes greatly to their success. A Superstar in one environment might not be such a high-performer elsewhere. It is always worth looking closely at your existing talent to determine if they have the same potential to also be a Superstar if provided with more support or other internal changes.
- They are working for a direct competitor. Perhaps they simply can’t come across.
Non-competes are notoriously difficult to enforce through the courts but, if there is one area where they can be enforceable, it is when moving from one direct competitor to another. If the contract is written tightly enough, it most certainly can be an issue. Do you have the stomach for a legal battle and perhaps having your new Superstar sit on ice for a period?
- Is your compensation program attractive enough to bring them over? Do you want it to be?
The most common problem we see is that clients simply cannot make an attractive enough offer to land that potential Superstar candidate. Let’s remember they are a Superstar, so they are already being well compensated. Rather than lose that talent, your competitor is more than likely to offer them an increase (and lot of other attractive perks) to stay. As a result, to attract such a high performer, you might find you have to overpay to get them to join. The decision therefore quickly becomes a commercial one. Is it commercially viable to build a package to attract this person? What are the internal equity considerations of doing so? Will they be able to generate the results that you need in your environment that will justify this spend?
- Is there a compelling reason for them to join your organisation?
Compensation, opportunity, and/or lifestyle are the three reasons a candidate moves from one organisation to another, and it is typically a mixture of all three that get the decision over the line. Often it can be about timing. Is it the right time for them to transition? Do they have reasons beyond compensation to make the move? This is where an experienced head-hunter can add substantial value to the process. Understanding a candidate’s drivers and aligning them to the opportunity is an essential part of moving an individual from one organisation to another. Ensuring that there are attractive opportunities, compensation packages and lifestyle options are essential to building a talented team. You want them, but have you stopped to consider if they want you?
- Does your interview process focus enough on attracting the Superstar?
Interview processes are a two-way street. In the case of poaching a top performer from your competitor, it can become a one-sided beauty parade – but it shouldn’t be. Your whole organisation needs to understand their role in the interview process. No-one appreciates something that comes to easily, so it is important that the candidate must work for the job. Equally, this is not the time for one-sided panel grilling. There needs to be a carefully constructed interview process that challenges them, allows them to meet superiors and peers and be allowed to ask detailed questions to assess the fit for their requirements. You should be balancing between assessing and selling and getting this right can be the difference between a successful or failed recruitment process.
Recruitment processes are complicated and even more so when chasing the perceived ‘golden goose’. Nine times out of ten genuine Superstars are developed within organisations, not poached from one business to another. As a sales recruiter for over 20 years, my advice would always be to recruit for ‘potential and talent’ rather than the ‘plug and play Superstar’. The reward of hiring that industry Superstar is clearly attractive, but the risk that they don’t transition effectively to your environment and / or you waste too much time chasing the unachievable, make this a big decision.
The fact that you are looking for great talent is unquestioned. The question is, are you looking for that superstar trade or is there a talented rookie or rising star that would be a better investment for your organisation? If you want the superstar you need to have everything lined up to give them an extremely attractive reason to move, have a well planned and seamless recruitment process and need to be prepared to pay what is needed to get them closed.
Stephen Borer is Partner at DMC Recruitment Group. Stephen specializes in recruitment for the Building Materials Industry across Canada and the USA. Contact Stephen at [email protected].
