The Best Ways to Hire Salespeople

Frank V. Cespedes; Daniel  Weinfurter

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Article | Harvard Business Review (website) | November 2, 2015

The Best Ways to Hire Salespeople

by Frank V. Cespedes and Daniel Weinfurter

Abstract

Companies typically spend more on hiring in sales than they do anywhere else in the firm. Average annual turnover in sales is 25% to 30%, while direct replacement costs for a telesales employee ranges from $75,000 to $90,000 and other sales positions cost as much as $300,000. Moreover, these figures do not reflect the lost sales while a replacement is found and trained. This article discusses four places to focus in order to improve this crucial dimension of talent acquisition.

Keywords: Selection and Staffing; Salesforce Management; Retention;

Format: Electronic