From Sales & Marketing Management’s e-newsletter (sorry, no link available):
How to win the talent war:
* Assess current strengths and gaps. Review the talent on hand and what your future needs will be.
* Create a vision and strategy. Identify the tools, processes, and technology you will need to fill your talent gaps. Create a vision that can be embraced by a those who will be asked to do the recruiting work.
* Complete a readiness assessment. Is your organization ready to jump into the talent wars? Is the culture prepared to support the impact of a new talent vision?
* Build the business case. Identify the benefits to following your talent strategy. Be prepared to articulate these as the strategy is rolled out.
* Create an implementation plan. What will you do with talent when you get it? Craft a plan to integrate and measure your acquired talent. Establish metrics that determine whether or not your talent goals are in line with the company’s overall strategy.
The 3rd point and the last point seem to go hand-in-hand. They are both well worth mentioning in that we have seen the lack of these approaches cause tremendous headaches. Most companies want to hire sales superstars and we assist them in that endeavor. The issue materializes when the sales superstar arrives in their new position.
Strong salespeople usually do not blend well into a culture that has adapted to mediocre (or worse) sales performance. The strong salesperson tends to aggressively pursue opportunities and expects the company to be supportive in their quest to secure new customers. Often a company that is not accustomed to this activity tends to undervalue the strong salesperson’s efforts. The most common grievance is a lethargic apathy from the company. Nothing demoralizes a strong salesperson faster than the realization that the culture they are now immersed in does not match their high-powered drive for success.