Finding and hiring the right sales and marketing professionals can be a hassle. You rarely know how things are going to turn out until it’s too late, but here at Vigilante Marketing, collaboration is our specialism, and we know, with the right hiring strategies, it’s possible to minimize risk and maximize the potential of a new team member.

Criteria

Before you move into the first stage of recruitment, it’s important to identify what you’re looking for in a sales or marketing professional. Although the criteria will depend specifically upon your industry and work process, there are some consistently desirable characteristics. For example, a good salesperson is usually optimistic, realistic, and persistent – that means they won’t get disheartened by the inevitable slew of rejections and setbacks.

Marketing personnel have different sets of desirable traits. In the digital age, one of these is versatility – often, you want team members who are eager to learn and can be relied upon to manage multiple media types. For example, you might want to hire a freelance video editor with skill in photo editing or a pure marketer with the ability to write long-form copy. Good marketing people are also patient, willing to learn new things, and okay with playing the long game. A social media marketing manager, for example, knows it can take years to develop an engaged following.

Contract Type

Once you’ve outlined sales and marketing personnel criteria, the next step is to decide upon the nature of their employment. Again, it’s best to have a clear idea of this before you’ve spoken to any candidates. There are many different types of contracts but, to keep things simple, let’s look at the two most general options – freelance or permanent. Depending on the nature of your business, the projects, clients, your product, and the existing team structure, the benefits of either will differ.

Freelancers offer a more flexible short-term service, giving you the freedom to rotate staff if, for any reason, things don’t work out. For this reason, they can also be cheaper as you hire them for crucial periods and relax the contract during periods they’re not required. You’re also not required to pay in for benefits like health insurance, social security, or retirement.

On the flip side, permanent staff often represent a better long-term investment. As employees learn about the company, their ability to operate will become more efficient, and their knowledge of any niches will grow more refined. Additionally, hourly fees for permanent employees tend to be lower, and you can expect a higher level of loyalty with longer notice periods.

Hiring

The process of hiring for sales and marketing begins with a well-written advertisement. Even if you plan to use an agency to help you with recruitment, writing down who or what you’re looking for is crucial for ensuring the process starts on the right foot. In this important document, you need to explain the function, responsibilities, and possible compensation details. A shortcut for getting this right is to research competitors and then to think about how your sales and marketing roles are similar/different.

If you’re recruiting independent of an agency, you’ll likely have to sift through applications yourself. This can be an extremely long-winded process, and it’s worth assigning someone to the job. To save time and limit candidates, try to write steep criteria, ensuring that applicants are uniquely suited. If this sounds like too much hassle, it’s often worth enlisting the help of a recruitment agency – you may even save money by doing so.

The recruitment process is straightforward with sales and marketing, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be diligent in finding the right suitor. With a keen eye and some patience, you may find the right individual to transform your business.

At Vigilante Marketing, we specialize in web development, design, content writing, and SEO. Visit www.vigilante.marketing today and learn about our marketing strategies.