Category: Sales Recruiting

In a recent post, I mentioned that it takes, on average, around 11 months for new SaaS sales reps to reach their full potential. Significantly longer than what most sales leaders would consider ideal. But as I also pointed out, having a strong onboarding process can slash this time in half. 

But what exactly does that entail? 

Here’s an actionable checklist so you’ll know step-by-step how to quickly onboard new SaaS sales reps and get them up-to-speed. 

Provide a Single Orientation Resource

First, create a 101 level resource that provides new hires with a basic overview of their position. 

Topics to cover may include:

• What your company’s mission is
• What your philosophy and values are
• What your culture is like
• What the SaaS sales rep’s role is
• Specific job duties
• Expectations
• Management structure
• Tools and software the rep will be using
• Training materials
• Who to reach out to for questions
• Staff email addresses and phone numbers
• Answers to FAQs

Most SaaS companies find that a digital hub is the best way to go here (as opposed to a traditional employee handbook) because it’s dynamic where updates can easily be made. The goal is to focus on the essentials without overwhelming new SaaS sales reps, and give them a resource to turn to as new questions inevitably arise. 

Offer Training for the Software They’ll Be Selling

In order for a salesperson to thrive, they need to: 

• Know your SaaS product inside and out
• Know key features and benefits
• Fully grasp your unique value proposition (UVP)
• Know the context of how your product fits into your leads’ lives
• Know what differentiates your product from what other competitors offer
• Offer engaging demos

It will obviously take time to learn the full details, and it’s not something that can be taught overnight. That said, offering formal training on your product will reduce the learning curve and create a level of cohesiveness among your SaaS sales reps. 

Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to compile a list of links to landing pages, product videos, blog posts, and so on for quick reference. Then, offer either video-based or expert led training on product essentials to help new hires get their bearings. 

Offer Training for the Software They’ll Be Using

Besides selling software, salespeople will likely be using it on a daily basis for operations. This could include a CRM, a scheduling app, a lead scoring platform, or project management software. Most SaaS sales reps will have a basic understanding of how to use these, but it’s smart to provide training on the specific features. That way they can leverage the full functionality of the platform and reduce unnecessary friction.

Software walkthroughs tend to work well, as does a knowledge base of tutorials featuring screenshots. 

Educate New Hires on Buyer Personas

Next, you’ll want to ensure SaaS sales reps have a clear understanding of:

• Who your ideal prospects are
• Their specific pain points
• What they’re looking for in a SaaS solution
• How to effectively approach them
• Common lead objections

The best way to quickly do that is to give them buyer personas to reference. 

Here’s a simple example.

As for developing buyer personas, they “can be created through research, surveys, and interviews — all with a mix of customers, prospects, and those outside your contacts database who might align with your target audience,” explains Pamela Vaughn of HubSpot. 

Check out her in-depth guide here.

Explain Key Competitor Strengths and Weaknesses

Again, understanding your company’s UVP is an essential component of succeeding as a SaaS sales rep. This will guide their initial outreach and discussion with leads. It will also ensure they can swiftly disarm any objections leads may have. 

A big part of a rep crystallizing the UVP is knowing the specific areas where your product outshines your competitors. To quickly get them up-to-speed, you’ll want to create a list of competitor strengths and weaknesses. 

Dan Shewan of Wordstream highlights precisely what to focus on when doing this, saying for strengths, pinpoint:

• What each competitor does well
• What their UVP is
• Internal resources they have (e.g. skilled, knowledgeable staff)
• Proprietary technology they use

As for weaknesses, identify:

• Areas where each competitor lacks
• Resource limitations
• Where they fall behind in proprietary technology

Critique a Rep’s Product Demo

Once a new SaaS sales rep has digested the essentials and learned the ropes of your product, have them perform a demo and critique it. This is a great way to gauge their level of comprehension and quickly determine what they’re doing right and what needs improving.  

It also allows you to assess how they perform under pressure, so you’ll know what areas they should fine-tune before having conversations with actual leads. 

Maybe, for example, their talk talk-to-listen ratio was too high. Research from Gong.io found top reps spend 46% of the time talking and 54% of the time listening, while bottom reps spend 72% of the time talking and 28% of the time listening. That would be a specific area of focus.

Setting the Stage for Success

Strong onboarding can rev up SaaS sales rep cut ramp-up time by more than 50% and increase their productivity by over 70%. The numbers speak for themselves. 

A big part of achieving that is having a streamlined, systematized formula to use with all new hires. This checklist covers all the major points and should help you get them firing on all cylinders lighting fast. 

Struggling to find elite sales reps in your industry? Learn how HireDNA can help you build a top performing sales team, while eliminating 96% of hiring mistakes. 

2020 was a tumultuous year to say the least. It was a year that reminded us how important adaptability and resilience are, and it showed us how critical it is for sales hiring managers to keep evolving. 

Now that 2021 has arrived, what can we expect in the New Year?

Here’s an in-depth sales hiring forecast to help shape your approach. 

1. 19% of Salespeople Will Work From Home Permanently

One of the biggest trends that’s resulted from the pandemic is a growing number of salespeople working from home indefinitely. 

“A majority of North American employers expect that most of their furloughed workers will return to work by the end of the first quarter of 2021,” writes Stephen Miller of SHRM. “Nevertheless, more workers will continue working from home on a permanent basis than before the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In fact, experts predict that roughly one out of five salespeople will continue to work remotely. That’s a percentage that’s down considerably from its peak of 44% in July 2020. But it’s nearly three times what it was prior to the pandemic, which was just 7% in 2019. 

Bottom line: working at home is becoming mainstream, and it’s wise for sales leaders to account for this trend when building their sales team. 

2. 92% of Salespeople Think 2021 is a Good Time to Look for “Gig” Work

The “gig” economy, which refers to people working temporary, flexible jobs rather than full-time, permanent positions, has been steadily gaining steam in recent years. But just like with the surge of remote workers, COVID has accelerated its growth as well. 

According to recent data, a staggering 92% of salespeople think 2021 is “a good time” to look for gig work. And a growing number of businesses are adopting this hiring framework, with “15% of the total job market consisting of open sales positions.”

This graph from VizWorld illustrates projected growth in the gig economy from 2017 to 2027, and conversely, shows how the number of traditional employees is declining. 

This really puts the trajectory of the gig economy into perspective and shows that hiring salespeople on a contract-by-contract basis is something to at least consider in 2021. And if you need extra manpower for seasonal spikes, this can be a great solution. 

3. 81% of Hiring Experts Say Virtual Recruiting Will Continue Post-Pandemic

In addition to a growing number of sales reps working remotely permanently, there’s also a huge trend where companies have turned to 100% virtual-based recruiting to find quality candidates. 

More than 4 out 5 talent professionals believe virtual recruiting will continue after COVID, and 70% believe it will become the new norm. 

“Companies have dabbled with video interviewing and remote assessments in the past, but the lockdown realities of COVID-19 have sparked them to create an end-to-end virtual recruiting process for the first time,” explains Gregory Lewis of LinkedIn. “And they’re both noting and embracing the cost and time savings that that change has brought with it.”

Although traditional face-to-face interactions during recruiting will likely rise as COVID vaccines are distributed and the overall situation stabilizes, it’s clear that developing a virtual recruiting strategy is advantageous and something that’s definitely worth your attention. 

4. 77% of Hiring Experts Say Diversity is Essential to the Future of Recruiting

Besides the pandemic, several other topics have shaken the headlines, and the push toward racial equality has gained massive momentum. While many companies have embraced diversity for some time, it should be taken to a whole new level in 2021. 

More than three-quarters (77%) of talent professionals say diversity is “very important” to recruiting not just in 2021, but to the future of recruiting. 

And as Gregory Lewis adds, “Diversity is not a feel-good ‘initiative’, but a business-critical imperative — one that recruiting can lead.” 

Just look at the numbers. 

Businesses that rank below-average in their diversity scores only generate an average innovation revenue of 26%. But those with above-average diversity scores generate an average innovation revenue of 45%.

Further, a separate study found that diverse teams make smarter decisions 87% of the time — largely because of the insights that stem from different perspectives and experiences. 

This isn’t to say that you should make diverse hires just for the sake of being diverse and blindly jump on the bandwagon. But the data clearly shows that salesperson diversity can have a positive impact, both financially and culturally. 

And with a virtual framework for recruiting and working remotely already in place for many businesses where you can reach sales candidates all around the world, this shouldn’t be all that difficult of a transition to make. 

5. 44% of Companies Currently Use AI to Find Top Salespeople 

AI has spread its tentacles to multiple areas of HR and has a plethora of applications. One of which is identifying top tier sales candidates. 

At the start of 2021, 44% of companies already used AI for recruiting to find the best salespeople, and beyond that, 40% use AI for screening and assessing candidates throughout the process. 

This chart shows the details. 

Many sales hiring managers are familiar with applicant tracking systems and use them in some capacity to filter through the sales candidate pool, but AI takes things to a whole new level. With it, you can zero in on an extremely targeted segment of candidates, narrowing it down to the small handful that meet key criteria and making the overall process much more efficient. 

It’s also helpful for reducing bias with hiring and creating a level of objectivity that up until this point has been impossible. So, this is definitely a type of technology worth your attention in 2021. 

Gearing Your Sales Hiring Up For Success

By nature, sales hiring is always evolving. But you could argue that it’s moving at a faster rate than ever before. These insightful stats should crystallize your approach in 2021 and help you attract the best and brightest. 

If you’re looking for a top of the line tool to hire better sales talent, faster, check out HireDNA. It uses cutting-edge technology that analyzes candidates based on 20 key data points and 21 core selling competencies to help you find the perfect fit. 

There’s an interesting trend I’ve noticed in the sales world recently. Often, the hiring decisions of companies are based more on a sales candidate’s industry/product experience rather than their actual selling skills. This is understandable to a point, but I’ve found that this isn’t always the best approach. In fact, it can be quite detrimental. 

Why?

Because companies often pass up on many great salespeople with transferable experience because they’re so blindly focused on industry/product experience and not selling skills. And that’s exactly what I want to discuss for this blog post — why you should go after salespeople with amazing selling skills over those who just have a lot of experience. 

Let’s jump right in. 

Employer Hiring Preference

To gain a better perspective on this phenomenon, let’s take a look at data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2017 survey. They found that nearly two-thirds (64.5%) of employers “prefer to hire candidates with relevant work experience.”

However, only a fraction of employers (5.1%) said that experience wasn’t a major factor in their hiring decisions. 

Although this particular survey applies specifically to companies hiring recent college graduates that are new to the workforce, it does a great job of illustrating the collective mentality most companies have when forming their hiring preferences. This data shows that industry/product experience is often the number one thing companies look at when deciding which candidates to bring on board. 

And while it certainly doesn’t hurt to have industry/product experience, you shouldn’t overlook top tier candidates who possess next level selling skills just because they don’t have the same level of experience. That’s a huge mistake and one I feel holds many of today’s companies back.

An Example

Let’s say there are two candidates for a sales position. Candidate A has been in your industry for 10 years and knows your product inside and out. They’ve got a wealth of experience on industry history, trends, product features, benefits, and so on. However, their actual sales performance is pretty mediocre. They’re okay at what they do but have never been at the top of the totem pole. 

Candidate A is a “safe bet,” and you know for a fact that they’re an industry expert. That said, there’s nothing overly remarkable about them. 

Candidate B is brand new to your industry and only knows the basics of your product. They’re still learning the ropes and don’t quite have a full understanding of your offerings, product features, and benefits, but they’ve got a proven track record of sales success. They’re a complete rockstar and have consistently performed at a high level in all of the other companies they’ve worked for. 

Person B gets results, but in terms of industry/product experience, they simply haven’t had the time to gain the knowledge that Candidate A has. 

Conventional hiring wisdom would say that you would choose Person A because they have more experience. But often the wrong move for one main reason. 

It’s Easier to Train on Products Than it is Selling Skills

Let’s be brutally honest. Selling is hard, and quite frankly, not very many people are good at it — let alone great. It takes a very distinct skill set that only a small percentage of people are truly cut out for. The underlying sales processes, psychology, strategies can be learned — sure — but those that truly thrive usually have the “it factor.” According to Sellect Sales Development, the “it factor” often involves things that can’t be formally learned like ambition, tenacity, initiative, and vigor.

And even with a boatload of experience, many reps fall short of expectations. One study even found, “Hiring experienced sales candidates will produce an unsatisfactory result as much as 80% of the time!” Training someone to sell comes with a lot of challenges, and there’s really only so much you can do, as much of it boils down to natural talent. 

Training someone on products, however, is pretty straightforward. As long as they’ve got the talent and know how to sell, their skills are transferable. So in time, they can learn your industry/product and leverage their abilities to flourish. 

While an average candidate with even the most in-depth knowledge will likely plateau, a rockstar candidate with only minimal industry/product experience has the potential for massive success. 

This is something that’s extremely important to keep in mind when developing your salesperson hiring strategy. You don’t want to lose out on making a potentially game changing hire just because someone doesn’t have xxxx product service/experience. Rather, you need to see the big picture and look at their overall value. As long as you have an efficient product training framework in place that quickly gets salespeople up to speed, the results should come as long as the talent is there. 

Adjusting Your Hiring Approach to Achieve the Best Results

Don’t get me wrong. Having industry/product experience is important. But you shouldn’t get so fixated on a sales candidate having prior experience that it gets in the way of hiring legit rockstars with less experience. 

At the end of the day, what’s most important is being able to sell. As long as a sales candidate can do that, the rest should fall into place. 

Looking to elevate your sales hiring using science-based assessments and intelligent matching? Check out HireDNA right now.

It leverages cutting-edge technology based on 21 core selling competencies and 20 key data points to find the best of the best sales candidates. And a staggering 92% of candidates recruited through HireDNA reach the top of the salesforce within their first year. 

When recruiting salespeople, the goal is always to find those that are the most talented and qualified — the best of the best, the cream of the crop. Often that means choosing between the pool of candidates that apply for a job posting. But other times, the true rockstars are already employed by the competition and aren’t even looking for a job. 

This raises an interesting question. Should you recruit salespeople from competitors? 

Let’s find out.

Why Passive Candidates Often Make the Best Salespeople 

Passive candidates are individuals who are currently employed but open to new career opportunities if they come along, as long as they meet the right criteria. For example, a passive candidate would potentially entertain an offer if they could earn more money, receive better benefits, have a more flexible schedule, and so on. 

These people aren’t always on a recruiter’s radar, but they definitely should be. 

“Passive candidates can offer a lot of value to your business, and they shouldn’t be ruled out just because they’re not actively searching for a job,” says Mike Kappel of Forbes. “In fact, they’re often the most valuable type of candidate.”

Just think about it. Who’s likely to be the better salesperson? One who has to apply to dozens of jobs and is low on the totem pole for consideration? Or, one who was headhunted by top companies across your industry and is gainfully employed?

The latter, of course. 

Not only would they have the right qualifications, they probably wouldn’t need much training to get up to speed. You’re essentially plugging them into your system, which means you shouldn’t have to do any of the “hand holding” that’s often required with conventional hires.  

And what’s interesting is that 75% of candidates considered themselves passive, with most willing to talk to a recruiter. In fact, only a small 15% of candidates are completely satisfied and don’t want to move. 

It should also be noted that younger generations of Millennials and Gen Zers have a significantly higher average churn rate than Gen Xers and Baby Boomers, meaning they’re especially ripe for the picking. 

So, if the only candidates you’re considering are the ones that are applying with you, you’re likely missing out on A players that could bring immense value to your company. 

An Ethical Quandary 

With all that said, recruiting salespeople from competitors does have its downsides. Mainly, it creates a moral dilemma where “poaching,” as it’s sometimes called, can bring your brand integrity into question. 

If this is a strategy you use time and time again when assembling your sales team, it can potentially give you a bad rap. Those within your industry could potentially view your company as being unscrupulous and underhanded, which isn’t going to do your reputation any favors. And we all know how fast negative publicity can spread in today’s social media age. 

Other Issues

You also have to consider the legal implications. “Very few job applicants for key positions show up without any competition restrictions,” explains attorney Oberman Thompson. So, making the wrong move could result in costly litigation and all of the headaches that come along with it. 

That’s why you need to “know the issues in advance, and address them — up front,” Thompson adds. One of the first things you should ask a candidate you’re seriously considering is whether or not they’re bound by a non-compete clause. If not, there shouldn’t be any major obstacles in the way, and you can pursue them unencumbered. 

Besides that, you could also make the argument that recruiting a salesperson from a competitor while they’re already hired means their loyalty is questionable. “Common sense will tell an employer that if a sales representative is willing to break an agreement with a past employer, it is more than likely that the employee will repeat their action,” writes Ken Sundheim of Forbes. “This behavior does not exist in a vacuum.”

In turn, they could potentially be snatched away from you by a different competitor whenever the slightest hint of a better offer comes around. In other words, you could “get a taste of your own medicine” in certain situations.

The Pros and Cons of Recruiting Salespeople from Competitors

At this point, you should have a pretty good overview of this tactic as a recruiting move. But to ensure that you see the full picture, here’s a list of the pros and cons. 

The Pros

• Salespeople who are already hired are often highly skilled and talented
• They usually don’t require as much training as salespeople you hire through a traditional job ad
• Most candidates are willing to talk, and only 15% don’t want to move from the current position they’re in 
• These candidates may have valuable connections you can leverage to find even more top talent

The Cons

• If done inappropriately, it can potentially hurt your reputation
• In many cases, there are legal issues you have to deal with
• If handled incorrectly, it can potentially lead to lawsuits
• Salespeople who are recruited this way may be more likely to “jump ship” later on if wooed by another competitor

A Recruiting Strategy to at Least Consider

Trying to recruit salespeople from competitors is something that runs through most organization’s minds at some point. After all, it’s hard to do better than a key competitor’s best rep. There are solid arguments both for and against this strategy. But at the end of the day, it’s clear that it definitely can work as long as you do things the right way and don’t overstep your boundaries. 

Want to take your recruiting to the next level and hire better sales talent, faster? See how HireDNA can help you source top talent from a verified national network of sales recruitment experts. 

There are numerous factors that go into attracting top salespeople. Compensation, advancement opportunities, and company culture are often some of the first things that come to mind. 

But benefits have become a major factor as well. “In today’s hiring market, companies have to fork out more and more to create benefits packages that both attract and retain talent,” writes Kerry Jones, marketing director at Fractl, a growth marketing firm. 

The question is, which specific benefits should you offer? 

What the Data Says

Fractl performed a comprehensive survey that asked 2,000 people which benefits out of a list of 17 were most important to them. Here are the most valued benefits according to the data.

What we want to focus on here is the top 10 benefits so you’ll know which ones to prioritize. They are as follows. 

1. Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Unsurprisingly, this is the number one benefit — something that’s primarily due to the rising cost of healthcare. Just look at how the total national health expenditures have increased between 1988 and 2018. 

It’s becoming a bigger and bigger challenge for Americans to keep up with rising healthcare costs, so offering fully paid healthcare to salespeople can be a game changer for attracting top tier talent. This is no doubt one of the most expensive benefits, averaging $11,394 for a base salary of $60,000… 

…but it can be well worth it when you consider the competitive edge it can give you. For a rundown on offering health insurance to employees, check out this guide from Gusto. 

2. More Flexible Hours

This came in just behind health, dental, and vision insurance at number two on the list. 

“Steering away from a traditional 9-to-5 workplace structure that dictates the whereabouts of an employee, moving toward a modern workplace model that improves satisfaction and productivity, is ideal in today’s job climate,” says Joshua Stowers of Business News Daily. 

Giving salespeople more say over their schedule and allowing them to balance their professional and personal lives can be instrumental in attracting the best and the brightest talent. 

3. More Vacation Time

Not far behind health insurance and more flexible hours is more vacation time. Here’s how much paid vacation the average salesperson receives according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

If you can go beyond that, your company instantly becomes more attractive to elite salespeople.

4. Work-From-Home Options

Being able to work remotely at least part of the time has been an attractive benefit for a while. But with COVID turning the world on its head, it’s pretty much a must for businesses nowadays. 

There’s never been a more important time to invest in technology that allows your salespeople to work-from-home than the present. To learn how to help your team make the shift to remote processes for talent acquisition, check out this previous post we wrote. 

5. Unlimited Vacation

At first glance, this benefit may sound a little crazy, but it’s really catching on as of late. “Although the perk is far from widespread,” says Kerry Jones, “unlimited paid time off has been adopted by a growing number of organizations” with some of the most notable being Netflix and LinkedIn. 

When done right, it can offer multiple advantages, including a healthier work-life balance, more time for salespeople to recharge, and a deeper sense of trust between you and your team.

6. Student Loan Assistance 

In 2020, the average student loan debt was $30,062, which is more than a $6,250 increase from what it was in 2010. 

So it’s no wonder that student loan assistance clocks in at number six of the top 10 benefits. This is a perk that more and more companies are offering, including Chegg, Estee Lauder, and First Republic.

7. Tuition Assistance

And for younger salespeople who are still finishing their education, tuition assistance can be an extremely enticing benefit — especially for those attending private institutions, which have an average tuition cost of over $35,000 per year. 

8. Paid Parental Leave

“The United States is one of only two countries in the world that doesn’t provide paid maternity leave to its workers,” notes Kerry Jones. “However, this benefit is important to employees.”

In fact, 26% of salespeople reported that they’ve switched jobs specifically for family benefits. Offering paid parental leave can put your company at the top of the list for ultra talented salespeople that are family focused.

9. Free Gym Membership

Lower on this list but still important is a free gym membership. We’re living in a day and age where people are becoming more conscious of their personal health. So, being able to stay in shape by going to the gym — something that costs nearly $700 a year — can definitely be enticing. 

While interest has obviously waned post-COVID, it’s likely to pick up again in the near future. 

10. Free Day Care Services 

Finally, there’s free day care. In 2019, about 40% of US households had children under the age of 18, which makes this attractive to a good chunk of salespeople. And with all of the complications that have arisen with child care due to COVID, this can be a major selling point for those with young children. 

Make Your Company a Top Contender

The success and longevity of your company relies heavily upon the quality of your salespeople. And one of the most effective ways to attract the best and the brightest is by offering the right benefits. 

The list above zeroes in on the 10 most popular according to reliable data so you’ll know exactly which benefits to prioritize moving forward. 

Learn how HireDNA can help you take your recruiting and hiring to the next level. See how it allows you to source top talent and use intelligent matching and science-based assessments to find elite salespeople in your industry. 

Book your live demo today.