A B2B supplier of high value, capital goods asked us for support in recruiting a team of sales people for a specific project. The business was launching a new range and needed to rapidly increase awareness and achieve penetration in its target market.
We were asked to suppor the compnay in recruiting a full sales team of 8 field sales staff. The brief was clear: to find accomplished door openers, with strong B2B, commercial experience who were able to quickly understand the product and complex financials. They needed to be spread across the UK and happy to accept an 18 months employment contract…. and they had to be available to begin with a product training programme very quickly!
We scoured the country, mobilising a team to search, network and leverage every potential source of great sales candidates. This was supported by media promotion and advertising.
Within a few short weeks we produced a very short list of high quality, available, candidates. We also designed an assessment process, with a high focus on ability to work with numbers, interpersonal skills, resilience and sales orientation.
The client was present and conducted technical and behavioural interviews during the two day assessment process. This meant that we were able to quickly agree on the preferred candidates. Offers were made the next day.
All offered candidates accepted and started.
While it wasn’t all plain sailing, the company made great progress in its goals and were delighted with the outcome. Five of the eight staff were kept on after the 18 months contract and continued to add value to the business.