A-Players Don’t Work for B-Companies
There is an old adage in headhunting circles: if you’re committed to hiring A-Players you need to have an A-Opportunity.
The key—of course—is positioning your company, your team, your role as an A. Easier said than done.
This starts with being brutally honest. Ask yourself:
Why would a top inside sales professional choose to leave her existing company where she’s already proven, respected, and well compensated to join your team?
Maybe this person is underappreciated or working in a C-Opportunity. If that’s the case, ask yourself a different version of the same question, “Why would a top inside sales professional choose your team over a variety of other competing opportunities?”
Many company executives and hiring managers lose their objectivity and have overly inflated views of their technology, company, executive team, etc.—essentially their job. Candidates are guilty of this too, but that’s for another post.
Top talent by definition is scarce. When a scarce resource is in high demand, that resource is valuable. In this case, the value is having the luxury of choice.
Go into LinkedIn and search the Jobs section for “Inside Sales.”
Why should top inside sales talent choose your company over all of the others?
Since cofounding memoryBlue in 2002, Chris has helped provide inside sales resources to more than 1,000 high tech companies, and has hired, placed, or evaluated thousands of high tech sales professionals. Chris spearheads memoryBlue recruiting services, and is passionate about developing sales talent that generates results.
