This week I was lucky to moderate a panel on hiring and recruiting for B2B Sales. This is part of the Communitech Sales Leaders P2P group. We had a great panel with Jonathan Jones, the Business Development Manager at Bridgit, Shikha Bindra, a Business Development Manager at Vidyard, and Michael Mensink, a Senior Director Enterprise Sales at D2L. The panel covered a number of topics during our session. Here are a few of the highlights.
Interactive Interview Process
One thing that was fairly consistent with each organization was the interview process. In all cases it involves an early telephone screen, multiple face to face interviews with multiple team members, and the candidate provides a case study or a presentation. The cycle can range from a week or two to over a month.
Reps are Motivated by Different Things
As part of the interview process, it’s key to note that different reps are motivated by different things. A mix of the motivations include their knowledge of sales, wanting to learn about startups, progressing and becoming a manager, recognition of hitting targets, and making money. Modern sales teams are made up of reps with a mix of motivations and diverse backgrounds.
Showcasing Company Culture
In KW, it is very competitive for sales reps: company culture can play a big role. During the P2P, the panel members mentioned a range of tools and strategies, from showcasing company culture on Facebook/Instagram to involving other team members in the process that can talk about what it is like to work there. Company culture fit also goes the other way. One of the organizations has there CEO interview every final candidate to make sure they are more passionate about sales and their product versus free lunches and the beer fridge.
More Sales Reps Needed
I have written before about the shortage of sales talent in the Toronto-KW corridor. It is still very competitive with each of the organizations looking for sales talent in different places. For one company that means more reps at satellite offices, another is recruiting at new post secondary, and the other looking for people in customer service roles.
If you would like to talk about the Communitech Sales Leaders P2P or about hiring and recruiting for B2B sales for your business, contact me.
