Peak Sales Recruiting: Frequently Asked Questions

SERVICES

FAQs

What does your service include?

We provide a fast and effective sales recruiting solution for employers. We apply our rigorous and proven methodology which combines role profiling, headhunting and candidate assessment, augmented with advisory services. We keep you informed with regular progress updates, and provide advice on compensation and contract negotiations. We work for you.

What makes Peak Sales® different from other recruiting services?

Unlike general staffing firms, traditional recruiters, and executive and boutique search firms, Peak Sales Recruiting delivers an unrivaled success rate, and does this through a combination of sales expertise, a focused team approach, comprehensive assessment, and a unique fee structure and guarantee.

What positions does Peak Sales® recruit for?

We successfully build teams and fill roles from the C-suite executive level to the sales rep level. Typical engagements include Vice President of Sales, Director of Sales, Director of Sales Operations, Sales Manager, Sales Operations Manager, Account Executive, Account Manager, Sales Representative, Channel Representative, Sales Engineer, Business Development Manager, and Channel Manager.

What defines a top performer?

Top performing salespeople achieve superior results relative to their peers and consistently meet or exceed sales targets. These types of sales professionals are very rare – representing about 10-15% of the total sales population and while top performers share certain personality traits, the specific traits combined with skills required for success are often different at different companies- which makes the top performer suited for each environment very rare. Remember, we’re not going to bring you job-seekers and people who are lucky to have a job. We are going to find you reliable, consistent performers who are going to come into your company and produce profitable growth.

Why is the selling environment so important?

A ‘selling environment’ is an interwoven set of variables defining the way a company sells. They include product price, typical deal size, sales cycle, selling methodology, sales team culture, marketing support, company maturity and competition level. Research shows that different personality traits and competencies are required for success in different selling environments.

Aren’t all good sales people the same? Why does it matter which one we hire?

There is no such thing as a ‘selling machine’, the salesperson who can sell anything to anyone. It is not uncommon for a successful sales person to become less successful when they move into a new selling environment, such as beginning a new position with a different company, or selling a different product or service. Top performers have some common traits, but different roles in different selling environments require different skills and traits.

How does Peak figure out what we need and whether the candidates will actually sell?

We have a role profiling process to ensure a clear definition of the ideal candidate, based on your sales model and culture, organizational stage and selling environment. This process has proven to result in a high percentage of sales hires who consistently produce at or above target for the company on a long term basis. We know what we’re doing, and we do it well. To determine which candidates will actually perform for our customers, we utilize a comprehensive set of advanced assessment techniques that include track record verification, traditional and customized evidence-based behavioural interviewing, and third-party psychometric evaluations and background checks. This ensures that the candidates will have both the skills and experience required to excel, and the DNA of a top sales performer.

Do you mine the job boards for job seekers?

No. While there may good people amongst the thousands of job seekers and unemployed people searching the job ads, the most successful sales people are almost always happily engaged in their current jobs. Recruiters refer to theses as “passive candidates” who may be open to new opportunities, but are not actively looking for a career change, so they’re not scanning job boards to see what is out there. To reach these people, we perform targeted headhunting that identifies a pool of highly qualified candidates for our customers.

Are you a local search service or national?

We have our own extensive database of sales professionals across North America. Our research tools give us access to sales professionals who have the specific qualifications required to complete a successful search, no matter where they’re living and working now.

Who are your clients? What verticals are they in?

Our customers are marquee employers from high growth, emerging companies to multi-national corporations.

Does Peak work in other languages?

We have completed numerous successful projects for French-speaking salespeople in Quebec City and Montreal.

What if we just want résumés?

We do not provide resumes as there are many companies that can easily produce resumes of candidates that are not top performers. Our customers seek top performing sales people and in order to find these, a rigorous process is required which involves – detailed role profiling to ensure a clear definition of the ideal candidate, based on your sales model and culture, organizational stage and selling environment, targeted headhunting that identifies a pool of highly qualified candidates and comprehensive assessment that further highlights the most suitable candidates through verification and background checks, traditional and behavioral interviews, and psychometric profiling.

Do you work with start-ups?

Yes. We have built the first sales team for many customers. While the challenges of attracting top people are different for early stage companies, our agile process is flexible, fast and adaptable. We have plenty of experience helping new companies launch and grow.

How are you going to help us become successful?

We understand the reason you’re hiring is not to make a hire, but to generate sales. We understand the linkage between sales performance and company success, because we have built sales teams and led successful companies ourselves. Leading companies choose us because we focus exclusively on finding top performing sales professionals who will perform in their unique culture and selling environment.

How much does your service cost?

Peak has a unique, effective and competitive fee structure that’s based on a conventional approach, but with fixed price, no obligation stages. This helps ensure we maximize our search efforts and are truly focused on recruiting the best possible candidates, and that you don’t overpay, while giving you greater control of the outcome.

How long does it take to get candidates?

The time required to find the right sales recruit depends upon the search parameters, but typically it takes a matter of days to find the first candidates on a search.

What do I need to do while you’re searching for candidates?

We begin by collecting business and hiring requirements from you. We will also ask you to provide constructive feedback throughout our process to ensure that we find the best candidates as quickly as possible.

Do I have to sign a contract?

Yes. Our contract covers project goals, process and obligations so that we meet your expectations without expensive surprises along the way.

Can I cancel a project after it begins, if I’m not happy?

Yes. Our contracts may be cancelled at any time.

What if I decide I want to hire more people?

A search can be expanded before, during or at the conclusion of a project. Once our customers experience firsthand the quality of the candidates we provide, they often expand the scope of the project to make additional hires.