How are your sales targets impacted by the quality of your sales recruitment?

According to Hubspot’s recent Sales Trends Report , exceeding sales targets or monthly/yearly quotas remains a top priority for B2B and B2C teams in 2023. However, some things have changed regarding the strategies implemented when converting leads into customers. By the end of the year, sales tactics are expected to become even more targeted by industry, audience, sales intelligence information, and stage of the buyer’s journey.?

In a recent poll conducted by our FutureSales team on LinkedIn, we wanted to know more about how realistic sales targets are. The answers we got were quite surprising as 33% of our poll’s participants argued that their targets were impossible to achieve. Let’s find out why:

What makes sales targets impossible to achieve??

Unrealistic and simply unachievable sales quotas are one of the most common reasons salespeople don’t achieve their sales goals. Furthermore, the economic downturn has severely impacted budget decisions, and nearly 16% of salespeople believe that unrealistic quotas are one of the top reasons for turnover in sales roles (Hubspot? 2023 Sales Trends Report ).?

Sales culture is changing, and leaders are starting to acknowledge what makes happy employees, and what triggers burnout. Having a strong sales culture doesn’t just improve satisfaction, but it also prevents turnover, enabling employees to do their best job. The 3 fundamental aspects of a successful internal sales culture are:?

• Trust among a team?
• Trust between sales reps & leadership?
• Clearly defined goals and realistic expectations?

Takeaway: Our takeaway is that lack of leadership, setting unrealistic sales targets, and having a weak internal culture are the three factors that make sales quotas impossible to achieve. The pathway to attainable sales targets begins internally, within your team. Improving your sales recruitment process is a great starting point, although it’s equally important to have an honest employer brand. Also, expectations should be communicated transparently in the job interview process, along with the benefits AND challenges that come with the job role.??

How to make sales targets achievable??

Before setting any sales targets, make sure your company’s demands are aligned with the strengths of your sales team. Following this assessment, draw several clear conclusions. For example, if a certain target needs to be attained by the end of the year, recruiting one more salesperson could be the smartest way to boost team performance, morale, and engagement. Some tips for streamlining your sales recruitment process:??

• Establish well-defined sales roles and criteria. Outline the skills, experience, and qualities that are essential for the success of your company's sales department. This clarity ensures that the recruitment team can target candidates with the right skills to excel in their roles.

• Leverage data analytics to identify patterns and trends in your current sales team's performance. Use this data to refine your recruitment strategy. Identify the traits and backgrounds of top-performing sales representatives and incorporate these insights into your candidate search. Data-driven recruitment minimizes the risk of hiring mismatched candidates.

• Craft compelling and accurate job descriptions that provide potential candidates with a clear understanding of the role and expectations. Highlight growth opportunities, challenges, and rewards of joining your company’s sales team. Transparency in job descriptions helps attract candidates genuinely interested in contributing to your success.

• Develop a multistage interview process that allows you to assess candidates thoroughly. Include behavioral and situational questions to understand their problem-solving skills, adaptability, and alignment with your company's values. Additionally, involve existing sales team members in the interview process to evaluate cultural fit.

• A comprehensive onboarding process sets the stage for new hires to succeed. Develop a structured onboarding process that introduces new sales team members to your company's culture, products, and sales methodologies. This orientation equips them with the knowledge and confidence to start contributing to sales targets promptly.

• Invest in ongoing training and development for your sales team. Provide opportunities for skill enhancement, product knowledge updates, and sales technique workshops. A well-trained team is better equipped to navigate challenges, adapt to changes, and consistently meet and exceed sales targets.

Making sales targets achievable depends on several aspects of your business. One of the most important is a recruitment process that goes beyond perks and benefits. At FutureSales , we believe in the power of a customized sales recruitment approach that follows a structured onboarding process. This way, we match qualified sales candidates who fit your company culture, ultimately increasing your chances of achieving sales targets and increasing ROI.