A diverse tech sales team is the key to putting the “force” in salesforce.
Diversity also equals revenue growth: a group of salespeople who each lend their unique talents, skills, and insights into collaborative team efforts is precisely what’s needed to remain competitive and cutting edge.
If you want to build a team of high-performing tech sales professionals, keep reading. We’ll share some unique strategies to help you branch out in your talent acquisition endeavours and refresh your overall recruiting strategy.
1. Identify the Vision
This step is so simple — so obvious — that it often gets overlooked.
Due to the dynamic and ever-changing nature of tech, it’s imperative to return to the drawing board periodically and reassess:
- Business development
- Sales objectives
- Staffing needs
- Current strategy
This step is critical to ensure you’re interviewing and hiring the best sales candidates — the top talent who can help you reach organizational goals based on current needs and objectives:
- What are your growth projections?
- How do you plan on reaching them from where you are now?
- Which segments are you hoping to impact with your products/services?
- How will you reach these demographics?
- How are you doing this well?
- What areas need improvement?
- How will you address and remedy the identified areas that need to be improved?
- Who can help you reach those targets?
Lay out your needs as they pertain to growth, and implement a strategy based on how you hope to resonate with the different demographics you want to impact.
Additionally, sales efforts are different for a B2B company than a B2C business. Keep the differences in mind, and do your best to structure a salesforce with the skills, insight, and knowledge required to tackle each of the variables that exist within your particular market.
Once this has been clearly defined, the next step is identifying the best salespeople to help you meet those targets.
2. Learn What’s Missing
The goal is to create a well-rounded sales team who understand both the product or service you’re offering, as well as the people or institutions who can benefit from it.
Your sales recruiting efforts should be centred around finding the individuals who meet and understand both of those needs.
You want a robust team that understands how to reach the end users and has a firm grasp on the experiences and struggles within each targeted demographic.
This is why diversity within the sales team is imperative. A diverse sales team can make a relatable and relevant impact on potential customers by understanding subtle yet powerful things like relationship dynamics and nuances of culture. A diverse sales team provides insight into how to best approach different populations in a way that will be well-received.
Establishing a clear idea of each market segment you want to resonate with helps you understand who to include on your sales team.
Often, companies make the mistake of believing that finding the right cultural fit means hiring team members who are the same as them. This can be hugely detrimental.
Culturally and diversity-wise, it’s imperative to define your overall values as something to aspire to, and not simply use as a reflection of who you are now.
Duplicating current competencies and neglecting to strengthen the team through promoting diversity of thought, experience, and culture can devastate a company overall.
Some helpful ways to ensure this doesn’t happen is to ask:
- Who’s perspective and insight are currently missing from the team?
- What experiences and creative skill sets are lacking?
- Who are the people who could benefit from the product or service but don’t know about it or feel aligned with it?
- Where does the disconnect lie, and who can help bridge that gap?
Clearly identifying and understanding what’s missing and why is an excellent way to approach and hire salespeople who can help close these margins and help you reach those goals.
3. Show That You Value Diversity
In order to attract a diverse tech salesforce, it’s crucial to demonstrate that diversity is a principal aspect of your company’s culture.
Current consumers are incredibly savvy at sniffing out “virtue signaling,” where companies claim to value things like diversity or eco-friendly practices. However, when it comes down to it, there’s no follow-through or indication that they practice the virtues they espouse.
Take a moment to think honestly and deeply about how your company promotes diversity and upholds this value through practices and procedures. Be open to areas that could be improved upon, and list how you’re actively working on implementing these values.
You can then share this message with potential candidates, perhaps by creating a video that gives an idea on:
- Who you are
- What you do
- The people you’d love to include in the team
Be open about your efforts to work with the community, and be clear in your sentiment that diversity is an integral component of a strong team. Multiple perspectives, experiences, and insights are exponentially more effective and innovative than a singular one.
Highlighting a diverse range of employees through promotional materials and other recruitment efforts can make candidates feel more comfortable applying.
Reinforce the message that you value diversity through an equitable recruitment process that strives to remove bias from hiring.
Stick to a script during the interview and make sure the job description is clearly defined so that it’s much easier to find a candidate who can meet the demands and nuances required for the various sales roles.
Related: How Top Tech Companies Successfully Build Diversity Training Programs
4. Partner With the Right Recruiters
Partner with diverse organizations to network and expand your current recruitment efforts.
Encourage recruiters and hiring managers to establish partnerships and alliances with professional organizations that promote diversity.
For example, Obsidi® continues to be the go-to resource for well over 100,000 and counting qualified Black professionals in tech.
Graduates of our three-month Obsidi® Academy emerge with all the skills and insight required to exceed the demands of specialized roles within the tech industry.
By becoming an Obsidi® partner, you can post any job openings to this growing community of thousands of qualified candidates who are ready and excited for their next opportunity.
5. Implement a Diversity Pipeline Program
Reach out and ally with schools and other programs that support and provide opportunities for underrepresented populations in tech.
Establish a presence at career fairs, offer free workshops, and find creative ways to encourage people who may not have had an opportunity to learn about a career in technology to participate.
Do everything you can to reach potentially qualified candidates who would love to be part of something innovative and exciting but may not have otherwise known a career like this was within their reach without being given the opportunity to discover more.
See also: How Top Tech Companies Build and Maintain a Strong Candidate Pipeline
6. Establish a Mentorship Program
Creating mentorship programs and internships is an excellent way to encourage and uplift diverse candidates who are motivated by all the opportunities that exist.
Fuel their excitement and passion by pairing them with well-established sales leaders who can encourage the people they’re mentoring and prove they can be successful.
You can partner a single candidate with a single sales representative or assign a group to a representative for a certain amount of time.
Reinforce the message that diversity of perspectives is critical — not only for sales positions, but in any future-oriented position where innovation and creativity are key along with the job-related skillset.
7. Leverage Social Media
Use social media sites like LindedIn to specifically target a diverse audience.
Seek advertisement opportunities to share tech sales job openings on social media, and filter those ads so they reach the audience you’re hoping to attract.
You can also advertise events on social media. Give people an opportunity to take a peek into your organization by hosting an open house, for example. Invite anyone who’s interested in learning more to RSVP.
8. Go Where the Diverse Candidates Are
Learn where the diverse candidates gather to network, discuss the current trends in their field, and establish a presence there.
Attend any relevant summits or workshops intended to serve diverse populations within the industry.
For example, BFUTR is the largest annual gathering of Black tech professionals in the world. This compelling event features:
- Hundreds of well-respected and renowned speakers
- Thousands of big-name leaders in the industry
- Brand partner presence from the high-performing giants in tech
This conference offers an excellent way to network, get fresh ideas, and stay informed about what’s currently happening in the technology sphere.
9. Consult With Your DEI Department
Connect with your organization’s DEI branch to discover alternative methods of reaching a more diverse range of candidates while making underrepresented people feel welcome.
Share your current strategy with your DEI department, and be open to their suggestions and ideas.
Discover: 8 Reasons Why DEI is Essential for Your Business
10. Expand Your Network
The importance of showing up and getting the company name out there as a desirable place to work should not be undervalued or dismissed.
As you venture out and continue to expand your network, make a point of reinforcing your reputation as an inclusive company that understands that diversity of thought, experience, and culture is key to creating a highly effective sales team.
As people learn more about your company, that value will make an impact. You never know who they’ll share that information with — further assisting in your recruitment efforts and reinforcing your company’s reputation in a positive way.
Make it a point to continuously seek places outside your typical network to establish connections and make your presence known.
11. Track Your Results
Conduct regular audits of your process to discern which strategies yield the best results.
Note the job boards or recruiting firms with the best track records and monitor where your referrals come from.
Those who are successful know that a big part of that lies in maintaining relevance. This involves active engagement in both sales itself, and team recruitment efforts.
Monitor sales employee retention rates: are the diverse new hire sales talent you’ve brought on board sticking around?
If not, it’s imperative you figure out why and address those issues. Be sure to conduct exit interviews. Get feedback from the current sales reps and perform a thorough audit of current practices, including:
- Culture
- Roles
- Responsibilities
- Overall equity
Establish a culture where your sales team feels as though they have ownership and input; their insight is incredibly valuable.
Conclusion
Establishing a diverse team of top sales talent is pretty simple; it begins with a clearly defined sales process that highlights the depth and breadth of skills required.
The next step is finding and hiring the right salespeople.
Gather the best candidates who lend unique perspectives and experience to the team, individuals who can provide invaluable insight into each market you hope to impact.
Then finally, revel in the energy and excitement that comes from this collaborative effort as you hit each target on your path to success.
10x your Black tech talent pipeline by signing up for Obsidi® Recruit today!
