You are new to the organization. Your hiring manager (HM) hands you the first assignment of finding sales talent. Find two AE’s that have sold using quotas in the past. You look at the quotas and these go past you as they are just some big numbers. Anyway, you get going by creating a JD (job description) and run it by the HM who makes some changes and OK’s the requisition (req) for posting. You reach out to a couple of staffing agencies you have worked in the past. Agencies start sending candidates who have the right years of experience but have different industry backgrounds. Resumes include quota figures.
The interviews start becoming the challenge as you realize – when it comes to quotas you are comparing apples to oranges. There are too many variables for a one to one realistic comparison. Services the company sells, pricing, company branding, sales environment, maturity of the sales process, sales leadership, sales culture etc. So, you discard the numbers and keep it simple. Has this individual worked in a quota based environment? While the screening becomes much easier – just because they worked in a quota environment does not mean they achieved their numbers (quotas). What if the numbers were somewhat over ambitious? What if less than 5% of the sales workforce came even close. You realize you are at the same spot you started. Ground zero!
Sales quotas can he both good and harmful if not done the right way. A overzealous firm may have unrealistic numbers which are not achievable and lead to tons of attrition. SMB companies can have a real challenge plugging in the right quota systems that align with the talent they attract.
From a hiring standpoint, the recruiter cannot be bogged down by the numbers of will go berserk comparing two sets of numbers with different inputs. A better approach is to focus on the sales person’s sales skillets irrespective of quota background or quota achievements. I have yet to meet a salesperson in an interview who has not achieved his or her quota. They all do!! Brush those numbers aside. Do not get overtly influenced with “achieved 125% of quota”. Also let your staffing agency know you will not be influenced by those quota numbers!!
To help you find and source great sales talent with pipelines call us at 214.432.0842 or email us at info@globalrhymes.com.
About Global Rhymes:
Global Rhymes is a national staffing solutions firm with a unique model. We quadruple your sourcing bandwidth to double and even triple submissions. This means a wider pool of candidates to shortlist from to ensure you find the right talent to hire. Sourcing sales talent is our sweet spot. Finding the right sales talent can be more of an art than a science. You cannot rely on skillsets (the ability to sell!). It is more about the background and cultural fit. Something we have mastered over the years.
We have you covered for the next 12 months with our sales talent pipelines program for any attrition or growth. Pipelines hires are at no cost to you.
Our pricing is up to 60% lower pricing than your typical staffing agency.
For a No Cost Sales Talent Mapping contact us by email or call 214.432.0842
