Recruiting and Selecting Sales Personnel

10/13/2020 Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, VBU

• Right salesmen can help company achieve marketing objectives.
Recruitment and selection are two important decisions in sales force
management that concern with ensuring the right type (right
qualities, right qualifications, and right experience) of sales personnel.

10/13/2020 Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, VBU

Problem of recruitment and selection
arises when:
• 1. Starting a new company
• 2. Resigning and retiring of existing salesmen
• 3. Death of existing salesmen
• 4. Suspending of existing salesmen
• 5. Growth and development of company’s operations
• 6. Entering into new territories
• 7. Developing and introducing new products

10/13/2020 Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, VBU

• Note that salesman is not only employee of a company, but he is its
responsible representative; he is not dealing only with selling products,
but also with goodwill and reputation of company. A right salesman can
create positive effect on sales volume, profitability, customer satisfaction,
dealer effectiveness, company’s goodwill, promotional efforts, and so
forth.

• While recruiting and selecting salespersons, job analysis (consisting of job

description and job specification) is to be made for better selection.
Recruitment and selection are interdependent decisions. Let us discuss
both terms separately.
10/13/2020 Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, VBU
Recruitment:

• Recruitment means searching for prospective candidates and inspiring

them to apply for the post. Recruitment ends on the last day/date of
receiving applications. Salesmen can be recruited through a number
of sources.

10/13/2020 Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, VBU

Sources of Recruiting Sales Force:

• Main sources, widely practiced in India, includes:

• 1. Advertisement
• 2. Other firms
• 3. Middlemen
• 4. Personal recommendations
• 5. Recommendation of existing staff
• 6. Special recruitment agencies

10/13/2020 Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, VBU

• 7. Private training institutes
• 8. Colleges and academic institutes, etc.
• Types of sources to be used for recruiting the salesmen depend on
certain criteria, like type of products to be sold, types of customers to
be served, paying capacity of company and type of remuneration
plans, and other relevant factors.

10/13/2020 Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, VBU

Selection:

• Selection means selecting the fixed number of suitable candidates from

those who applied for the posts. Selection process starts as soon as
recruitment ends. Recruitment considers all applications received in a
due date while selection considers only the required number of most
suitable candidates.
• There is no ideal selection process that most companies can follow.
Normally, for selecting salesmen, the simple and short selection process
is followed. However, some companies, when more salesmen are to be
selected at time, also follow lengthy and systematic selection process.
Selection process depends on types of salesmen, cost and financial
position of company, time available, company’s objectives, and so forth.
10/13/2020 Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, VBU
Steps in Selection Process:

• Systematic selection process consists of following steps:

• 1. Receiving applications
• 2. Screening applications
• 3. Preliminary interview
• 4. Written tests
• 5. Final interview
• 6. Medical examination
• 7. Final selection
• 8. Appointment and induction
10/13/2020 Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, VBU
Important Conditions:

• At the time of final selection or appointment of salesmen, following conditions must

be made clear:
• 1. Time to resume the duty
• 2. Company’ marketing objectives, policies, and strategies
• 3. Duties and restrictions
• 4. Place of work
• 5. Reporting system or procedure
• 6. Bill collecting system
• 7. Remuneration and incentives
• 8. Training and expenses
• 9. Other relevant conditions, if any.

10/13/2020 Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, VBU

 Thank You

10/13/2020 Dr. Ahmad Azhar, Assistant Professor, VBU