Company Sales Personnel: Many individuals apply for sales jobs because they know company sales personnel, and salespeople’s recommendations may constitute an excellent source. Often such applicants already know something about company policies, and the fact that they apply indicates a favorable disposition toward the company. Salespeople have wide circles of acquaintances, since both on and off the job; they continually meet new people and have many friends with similar interests. Many of their contacts have potential as sales personnel indeed; many now sell for other firms: However, some salespeople are not discriminating in their recommendations, and their recommendations need careful appraisal. Salespeople are a particularly valuable source of recommendations when jobs must be filled in remote territories; sales personnel in the same or adjacent areas may know more about unique territorial requirements and local sources of personnel than home office executives.
Company Executives: Recommendations of the sales manager, the president, and other company executives are an important source. Sales executives’ personal contacts may yield topcaliber people because of their understanding of the needed qualifications. Other executives’ recommendations, by contrast, often are based upon personal friendships and represent less objective appraisals. Experience is the way to evaluate each executive’s worth as a source of recruits, and the type of analysis shown in Figure 11.2 adapts easily for this purpose.
Internal Transfers: Two additional internal sources are other departments and the non selling section of the sales department. Employees desiring transfers are already familiar with company policies, and the personnel department has considerable detailed information about them. While little is known about their aptitude for selling, they often possess excellent product knowledge. Aptitude for selling, of course; can be tested formally or by trial assignment to the field. Transfers are good prospects for sales positions whenever product knowledge makes up a substantial portion of sales training, since it may be possible to accelerate field assignments.
