In all my years, I have never heard of this:
Cheerleading to Sales: The Leap is More Common Than One Might Assume
While the idea of recruiting current and former cheerleaders to work as professional salespersons may seem like a stretch, in reality it isn’t. If you want individuals who aren’t afraid of performing under pressure, are outgoing, dedicated, and are enthusiastic about getting others involved, cheerleaders are a perfect fit. Pharmaceutical firms and network communication equipment companies have both found cheerleaders to be phenomenal at sales.
The leap from the football field to the sales profession is so common that it can support a placement agency known as Spirited Sales Leaders, which specializes in enthusiastic people. With more than 10,000 “spirit leaders” in its database, it’s clear that others recognize the need for attribute versus skill-based recruiting.
We are all for attribute recruiting, but this seems to be a bridge too far. We have seen our fair share of “enthusiastic” salespeople who couldn’t sell water in the desert. I do commend the pharmaceutical firms and network communication equipment companies for looking outside of their typical candidate pool.