People have a lot of varied opinions on the state of the economy, but the one constant is that everyone has seen its impact on their business in some way. Now, this leads many to “batten down the hatches,” so to speak, and ride out this downturn. But that is not always the best course of action, and when you’re in the sales industry, it could mean disaster. I’m serious when I say that a strong salesforce should always be your top priority. Always.

To Be the Best, You Need to Hire the Best

It may sound trite, but your company is really only as strong as your weakest link. If you consistently hire the best, brightest and highest performing sales people, your weakest link will still be far stronger than that of your competitors. Now, in order to get and keep these superstars, you need to distinguish yourself from the pack. Think about what you would want someone to say sets you apart, or why they like working there. Then make sure that is a reality for every employee, especially when times are tough. Everyone is nervous; show your employees how much you value them.

Keeping the best all for yourself is a great strategy, but it requires finding them—and that’s where a professional sales recruitment firm can make all the difference. Sales recruiters have an extensive knowledge of candidates, the job market, and the sales industry. You may know your business inside and out, but it’s tough to keep up with everyone else out there; this is where a seasoned sales recruiter can really prove their worth.

Ongoing Recruiting Requires Ongoing Marketing

Somewhat of a chicken-and-egg situation, attracting the best and brightest is much easier if you already have a reputation for hiring the best; everyone will naturally want to work for or with you. But, if you’re still building a reputation, you can fake it with some marketing savvy—and a qualified recruiter can go a long way to helping you in this arena. Developing a strong marketing campaign will lead to a pipeline of qualified candidates, allowing you to pick and choose who will help you become the company you envision in the future. Honestly explain your goals to both recruiters and candidates, and commit to building that future with your employees.

Blindly hiring candidates just to beef up your numbers is a short-term fix that will backfire; you need to recruit, not just hire. Make sure each prospect is the right fit, and will improve your company or help you reach your goals. Be picky, and insist that candidates be candid with you. What does each party want out of the arrangement, and how can you help each other?

We hear over and over again that job seekers feel that employers have the upper hand right now, and that puts you at a great advantage—but perhaps not the one you think. The best will obviously rise to the top, but you need to be in a position to hire them. Again, it’s tempting to stop hiring, low ball candidates or hire whatever you can get, but this will set you up for failure in the not-so-distant future. Work with a recruiter—as well as existing employees—to make sure that you are making smart decisions for the long-term.

In dealing with a recession, it’s can be difficult to look on the bright side of a not-always-promising economy and job market. But recent studies provide some hope, and helpful advice, for both job seekers and recruiters.

The good news: this will end. The bad? No one’s quite sure when. But what we do know is the recession will have lasting effects on employers and job seekers. Sounds like a no-brainer, but a lot of the changes we see coming out of this economic climate are leading to good lessons and even better tips for employers

and employees alike.

Become a Rockstar.

Figuratively, not literally, of course. The best and the brightest stand out, time after time, and are worth hiring even when budgets are tight. In fact, many have speculated that tough times are the perfect opportunity to reach for a rockstar—with greater competition than ever and a more level playing field, you want the best working for you. And having one amazing talent is better than three mediocre workers. Be that rockstar, in whatever field, and you’ll greatly increase your hiring advantage.

Market Yourself.

While you’re working on this rockstar status, also called professional development, you should start thinking about how to stand out from the crowd. Even if you far outshine all the other applicants in terms of skills and ace every interview, you need to make sure your name gets noticed before they meet you. That means marketing yourself. Spruce up your résumé, use social media and be a little adventurous. Do your homework, check out the company culture, and then find a way to sell yourself specifically to them. Get creative.

Aim for the Future.

Outside of working for yourself, which can be tough to do, the next biggest business and hiring growth will occur in medium-sized businesses.



So plan ahead and look for companies that have optimal growth potential and hiring power as things begin to look up. And above all else, keep working on your “personal brand” and making yourself the best, and easy, choice in your field.

Sales recruiting is a unique profession because of the wide array of innate traits and learned skills required to be successful. It can be a difficult field to get into, and even more difficult to excel and last at, because of certain requirements that simply cannot be taught. This also makes it a very competitive field, which means you have a lot of options when choosing a sales management recruiter.

However, if you’re not used to working directly in the recruitment field in can be difficult to know what to look for when shopping around for different firms. Recruiting sales people can take time, and you don’t want a recruiter to rush a potential hire, but you don’t want to waste time either. When you start looking at upper level positions and need a sales management recruiter, the stakes are higher and the process can quickly become more complicated.

Recruiting sales people for entry or mid-level positions is different than recruiting for sales management; a recruiter looking for senior positions needs to put a lot more time and effort into finding the right candidate(s) because of the nature of the position. This is true in every industry; the higher up the position, the more skills and experience are required, which means fewer applicants meet the necessary requirements. It can also take more to entice an upper level executive or manager to consider leaving their comfort zone to move to a new company.

Because of the importance of a management position, and the differences between recruiting sales people and recruiting sales managers, you need to be especially careful when choosing a sales management recruiter. There are a few things you should look for when comparing sales management recruiter or firm:

Track Record

Overall, how are they at recruiting sales people and placing employees at all levels? This is a good first indicator of work ethic and will give you an idea of how the recruiter or firm will work for you.

Management Placement History

Do the employees that they find stick around? A good sales management recruiter should know how their recent placements are doing and hopefully has a proven record of how long previous placements lasted so you know what to expect.

Guarantee

Are you protected if the new hire doesn’t work out for some reason? Most agencies guarantee their placement for a certain amount of time in case the new hire doesn’t meet expectations.

These are just some basic guidelines to get you started, and they can be applied whether you are looking for someone to work on recruiting sales people or trying to find a sales management recruiter. Make sure you do your homework and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Happy hiring!

I’ve talked about using Facebook as a screening tool for interviews, but what about as a marketing tool? And why stop at Facebook? There is a wealth of new media available online, social media sites and communities designed specifically to bring people together. If you can master just a few of these you’ll have a significant advantage over your competition.

Whether you’re a big name recruiting firm, a small start-up or a single sales recruiter, you can always benefit from being more visible than your competitors. Even if you’re at the top and not feeling a direct threat, it would be nice to solidify that position and be seen as the coolest, most technologically savvy of the recruitment consultants.

Sites like Facebook and MySpace started as fun, fluffy personal networking sites, but they can be used for more serious purposes, especially Facebook. Set up sales recruiter profiles for all your recruitment consultants. Make sure there is enough information for someone to feel like they know them and have a good understanding of their qualifications, and make it clear how they can be reached. The main goal here is to seem approachable and likable.

LinkedIn is similar in nature to Facebook, but with a more professional focus. While a Facebook profile can, and should, highlight educational background and professional accomplishments, LinkedIn is the place to really make career information and credentials shine. Think of Facebook as more of a cover letter, LinkedIn as a résumé.

Twitter is a little more unique; as a microblogging site, there’s no real profile and not a lot of setup, so you can just jump in and “join the conversation” at any point. Search for people in your industry or field and just start talking. This can be a great way to network with other recruitment consultants, get your name out there and hear about who’s hiring and who’s looking to be hired.

You don’t have to be a sales recruiter or consultant to make this advice work for you. These social media sites are almost always free, so they’re great for marketing yourself as an individual as well. If you’re looking to impress a sales recruiter or potential employer, try out these and other social media sites to make sure good, quality, relevant information comes up when someone googles your name.