There are certain windows for sourcing salespeople that are better than other times of the year. Right now we are in the best window for sourcing salespeople for the entire year. The reason is that many salespeople are on commission plans that pay out the highest total after the year is completed. In many instances, that commission payout occurs towards the end of January.
I spent many years selling on these types of plans and can tell you that I would not leave in January since I was waiting for my largest commission check of the year. The different variations of commission plans I sold under usually had some accelerated clause or a cumulative commission that increased through the year with the Q4 payout being the largest.
The most dangerous time for any employer to retain a strong salesperson is right after they receive their big commission check and are staring at a new quota. We have seen this play out recently in the sales positions we are sourcing across the country. The response rate has ticked up dramatically over the past few weeks as salespeople eye new career opportunities for 2007.
If you are thinking about hiring salespeople this year, now is an ideal time to start the process.