ARE SALES CAREERS DISAPPEARING? Yes….

PHONE FEAR! It’s a real thing in today’s society and people are NOT applying to sales positions the way they used to……

As a hiring company Ciprani Consulting has been tracking, over the last 10 years, our candidate pool in multiple positions inside and outside of Real Estate and on average we’ve seen a 63% decrease from 2018 till now in candidates applying for these positions. 63% is a huge amount! Obviously, it should go without saying that this is a huge reason to work with us b/c we’re able to locate talent even though they’re not applying- one of the many benefits to working with us on your hire. We’re not the only ones seeing this though, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has shown a decline in candidate pool as well that is similar to what we’ve seen.

Here are the main reasons we’re seeing a decline:

1. 1. Lost appeal to Millennials- there are a ton of articles written about this but Millennials, in a generalization, find sales exploitative. They crave career paths with flexibility and stability.

1. 1. Stigmatized- whether we like it or not, the general public perceives sales people as pushy and sleazy.

1. 1. The Great Mismatch- the market and the candidate pool are often mismatched. You want to hire a candidate that is Driven by success and will continuously push their own limits to achieve new levels of success; not someone who is simply there to make enough money to pay the bills.

1. 1. People don’t ask the right questions when hiring sales people. Here are some questions and answers to look for when hiring for these positions:
      
      Q: How do you know when you have succeeded?
      A: Look for a candidate who sets very high standards and holds themselves accountable for reaching their goals.
      
      Q: When was the last time you were competitive?
      A: Look for a candidate who describes competitive situations as enjoyable, motivating and common.
      
      Q: When was the last time you were rejected? What did you do to recover?
      A: Look for a candidate who is able to put situations into perspective and get going on another goal, remaining resilient even after a tough time.

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”
– Steve Jobs