How to get headhunted in Sales

By Heidi Nicholson

The first rule of getting headhunted in sales is that the headhunter needs to know that you are there. More than that, they need to know what your specialism is. Ideally, they would also like some comfort that you are well thought of in that field, whether it be IT sales, medical sales, media sales, financial services sales, automotive sales etc.

Having taken their brief, the headhunter will be looking not simply for a salesperson but someone with a particular skill set. If their client needs someone with B2C experience, it does not matter how great the candidate is, it is unlikely that the first call will be to a star of the B2B scene. Similarly, we are all familiar with the power of brand and the adage that “no-one ever got sacked for hiring IBM” and while there are certainly times when having a major name on your CV will be an advantage, this is by no means always the case. There are times when the client will be looking for someone with a very different background, perhaps someone who can demonstrate that they have been involved in launching a new product, or someone who has a good record of finding new markets for products whose star is waning in their traditional market.

So, what to do? Remember that it is highly unlikely that any headhunter is simply going to run through directories. They will want some feel for your reputation and the comfort that you come recommended. At the end of the day, when they put forward candidates, they are staking their professional reputation with the client and, given time is tight, there are only so many frogs they want to kiss before finding their ideal candidate. However, whatever your professional experience to date, there are a number of ways you can draw their attention to what you can do and why you might be a good person to call.

1. Get your name in the papers – for the right reason. If as a headhunter, you’re looking for fresh talent, one of the first places you will look is the press. By this, I mean the trade press, and both the journals related specifically to sales and those which cover a particular sector. Get quoted on issues where you have expertise or, better still, be the subject of a case study and you’ll come to the headhunter’s attention. Headhunters may also trawl through the “movers and shakers” columns (and, indeed, many consultancies use this information to compile their own lists) from a few years ago, with the thought that someone who has now been settled for a little while may be ripe for their next move. Lucky for you, maybe, if your company announced you’d joined them…

2. Conferences. Conference lists are another base camp of headhunting. Headhunters love to get hold of the lists of attendees but that’s the ideal world. However, programmes are frequently online these days and the people who are speaking or sitting on panels are of particular interest. That you’ve been invited to participate is seen as an initial sign of good housekeeping.

3. Awards. Awards have the same attraction. While being able to say “award-winning” certainly has its attractions, getting nominated is enough. After all, it means you were doing something right! I know that companies have differing views of the value of awards (and if they have past experience of losing their “award-winning” sales staff they may not be positive) and whether you are entered or not may be your decision but if the opportunity of a nomination arises don’t be slow in coming forward.

4. Network – so get recommended. Headhunters won’t just call targets. An assignment usually starts with an extensive round of “sourcing” calls (as they’re known) which means that you are calling a range of people who are unlikely to be interested in the job that you’re talking about but who are likely to know someone who fits the bill. So, even if speaking to the press or speaking at conferences is not your cup of tea, make sure you speak to colleagues – and I mean that in the widest sense. Cultivate your contacts from not only your current employment but also previous jobs; do the rounds of the networking sessions at conferences and seminars; attend professional networking events and use them to talk about what you do. Be sure to exchange business cards. You’d never know, of course, but wouldn’t it be a pity for an opportunity to be lost for a lack of your champion knowing your contact details?

4. Social networking. Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date and ensure that it is optimised with the keywords which will allow you to be found in relevant keyword searches. Seriously, more candidates than ever are being found through this route and those with complete and informative profiles tend to do best. Make sure that you include your contact details (a phone number or email address) so that it is easy for the headhunter to contact you. If you want help with this, drop me a line.

5. Send your details in. Find out who the principal headhunters in your field are and send your CV to those who work on the kind of jobs you’d like to go for. This may not translate immediately into a new job but it should get your CV onto their database. Make sure that your CV makes it clear what you do and what you’re looking for, highlighting your most relevant skills and experiences. It is surprising how many don’t. Getting this right will make it easier to find your CV again and, believe it or not, finding out whether there are any suitable candidates for a role already on the in-house database is usually the first place to look. Again, if you want help putting together a first-class CV, contact me as per the details below.

Contrary to commonly held perceptions, headhunting is not some kind of “dark art”. Done well, it is systematic and research-based. However, if you want to be headhunted you have to be visible.

Heidi Nicholson is a partner at Richmond Solutions
heidi.nicholson@richmondsolutions.co.uk
www.richmondsolutions.co.uk

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