Sales Positions 5th Most Difficult to Fill

The 4/30 Issue of Inside Training Newsletter, published by Training Magazine, lists Sales Representatives as the 5th most difficult position to fill.  But that doesn’t really tell the story.

If you have an ordinary sales position with average compensation, it’s the 5th most difficult position to fill.  But, in my experience, if your compensation is below average ($96,000), it’s significantly more difficult to fill. According to the most recent National Sales Compensation Survey, $67,000 is the average compensation for underperforming and entry level salespeople.  How difficult is your position to fill if the compensation falls below the average at any level of performance but your requirements describe someone better than that?

Chances are, the economy will loosen things up a little and there will be many more salespeople looking for positions as sales for products in their industries dry up.  But employer beware, the first wave of available salespeople will usually be those that are least effective so make sure you are using a world-class sales assessment to differentiate the performers from the actors.