You’ve completed interviewing a sales candidate who is the ideal fit for your company and its values. What follows next is an important part of the process, and, if done poorly, could potentially chase your prospective employee away. The Job Offer is a pivotal step.
Remove from your mind the image of a hopeful – and even desperate – candidate waiting at your doorstep with a line-up of second, third, and fourth choices behind them. A wonderful candidate is likely speaking to and interviewing with multiple companies and might even be considering another offer. Plus, their current place of employment can give a counter-offer.
Review the following tips for presenting a job offer to your winning sales candidate that will be fully informative, presented with respect and enthusiasm, and will get them as excited about you as you are about them.
Be Quick and Efficient
Now isn’t the time to waver. If you’ve found a great person, you’ll lose them if you don’t act fast. It’s good to present a job offer within 1-3 days tops. Leaving someone waiting around for close to a week or more is risky. It also seems like you’re not that interested. You might have high-quality second and third choices because you’re well-informed as to why using a sales recruiter is so effective but you should always get your first choice! You also don’t want to end up in a bidding war.
Be More Personal
Try to present the offer in-person. It shows you respect your potential new employee and can make the time for them. Only taking a few minutes to shoot-off an email feels like you’re too busy for them orthat the job offer is a low priority task on your to-do list. In-person, you can take the time to answer any immediate questions and convey your enthusiasm much better.
A phone call comes in second place. If you absolutely must write an email, or if you prefer to have your conversation on record, take the time to compose an excellent letter that represents the offer, its details, and your interest well. If you kept things close to the chest during the interview, now is the time to act excited.
Present Every Benefit
The job offer shouldn’t only contain the salary and benefits package. All the perks of working at your company, including what’s great about the office itself and the people, should be included. A description of what it feels like to be on the team and what kind of extras like an ergonomically-designed work station, a fully-stocked kitchen, a games room, etc. will show how enjoyable the workplace will be.
Also include information about company culture, values, goals, and what they’re ‘selling’ along with the product or service. It’s important to let them know how they’ll be supported to succeed with help from a mentor and extra resources.
Compensation
You want this person for their superior sales skills and personality that will make clients fall in love, so why try to undercut their salary? Asking a candidate what their salary expectations are not only causes anxiety, but it sends the message that you’re trying to play games and low ball them. Research what salary amount is the going rate and then raise it appropriately, considering all benefits and perks. This doesn’t mean aim incredibly high in order to secure the candidate, but it does mean appropriately valuing them.
Keep Communication Open
Your candidate may ask for some time to consider your offer, and you want to give it to them. However, politely check in and keep a dialogue going if it’s been a few days. You also don’t want to be taken advantage of and want to move on to the next person if they’re going to go elsewhere.
After giving the offer, and after they accept it, continue to keep that conversation going. The deal isn’t done until that candidate arrives on their first day of work.
