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RECRUITING SALESMEN Recruiting salesmen is becoming quite an important activity in the present days.

The stress on this aspect is on the increase primarily due to rapid changes in the technology, LPG, and the fluctuations in business cycles. Previously the goods were in short supply, so that the consumer had no choice, other than buying what was available in the market. Now due to rapid changes in the technology many of the economies have reached a stage of market saturation. Due to the increase in the production, increase in the competition, and rapid change in the technology and fashion every entrepreneur is facing the problem of marketing his products. The present job of the sales executives is to have sufficient number of properly trained and motivated salesmen on hand to meet the needs of the existing and potential customers for the firm products. Increasing competition has compelled several firms to have sufficient and efficient sales force. The pressing task of the present sales executives is to identify the sources from which he can have efficient salesmen. Recruitment of salesmen has achieved such importance because of the scarcity of men in the profession. This is because, once upon a time sales job was considered to be an inferior profession, so many youngsters choose other activities like engineers, doctors etc, thus causing scarcity in the area of sales. Recruiting the salesmen is a continuous job, because vacancies arise due to the existing sales people retiring, deaths, promotions, disabilities, resignations and discharges by the firms. Apart from the above reasons, recruitment also depends upon the marketing policy of the firm like introduction of the new products, revising the sales of the existing products that are not able to do well and the firm deciding to enter into the new markets.

The importance of the recruitment depends upon the type of the product sold, the type of the customer served, the method of distribution, the volume of the sales and the capital available. Recruitment becomes a more serious problem for firms selling high priced luxuries and specialties due to high turnover of salesmen. PLANNING A RECRUITMENT PROGRAM: The first step in planning a recruitment program is to make an analysis of the manpower. The abilities of the present salesperson should be analyzed and classified as (1) Satisfactory (2) Questionable and (3) Worthless. The points to be considered for rating the salesmen as above should be (1) their volume of sales (2) direct selling expenses. (3) Profit performance (4) credit sales (5) their future potential etc. The questionable people should be given reasonable time and training to prove themselves and should not be brought into an organization until the worthless salesmen have been eliminated and the questionable people show the signs of improvement. RECRUITMENT PHILOSOPHY: There are two philosophies concerning the recruitment problem. Careful selection by employing all the proven methods of choosing salesmen through a rigid selection process. Law of averages in which all the salesmen who agree to work for the compensation offered are hired with the hope that some of them will be successful. However, many sales managers have discovered the first method gives best results in terms of quality and cost of the manpower. ANALYSIS OF THE RECRUITMENT PROBLEM: Turnover of the salesmen:

One of the most important factors indicating the need for a sound recruitment plan is the turnover of salesmen in an organization. The usual experience is that turnover among salesmen selling specialties and intangibles are high when compared to those selling common items. An analysis of the number of terminations over a period should also be computed, so as to calculate the turnover. The turnover rate will show the number of new men required as yearly replacements for resignations, disabilities, retirements, deaths, promotions, discharges etc. Effectiveness of present salesmen: For arriving at the future salesmen needs, the effectiveness of the present salesmen in the firm should be considered in relation to the firms desired sales volume. E.g.: 5 salesmen are able to sell 100 units @ 20 units each. If the firm intends to attain a sales volume of 160 units, then it needs to employ 3 more salesmen. Number of salesmen needed according to potential market area to be covered: The number of salesmen needed is also determined by the size of the market, actual and potential customers to be contacted, the frequency of contacts and the total number of calls that can be made by a salesman during a given period like a day or month etc. E.g.: there are 400 actual and 600 prospective customers. If A salesman can make 10 calls a day, it will take him 100 days to cover the market. However, if the firm wants the salesmen to visit the customers once in 20 days, then it requires hiring 5 more salesmen. Cost of recruiting the salesmen: Cost of recruiting the salesmen include advertising cost, fees to employment services, cost of preliminary training, executive time for sitting on the interview board etc. The cost of recruitment should be determined and efforts should be made to keep these expenses at the lowest level possible.

Best time to recruit salesmen: The recruitment of salesmen is often postpone until there is a fall in the sales force due to resignations and retirements, which often results in the decline of sales volume and profits of the firm. This practice is found to be wrong because a customer lost once is lost forever. The best time to recruit salesmen is when the firm is entering in new markets or introducing new products or at a time when it does not strain the financers of the firm or weakens management control.

Decide when and where more salesmen are needed: All the sales territories of the firm should be analyzed to determine which ones need additional salesmen, because either the potential has increased or the competition has become more severe. Potential retirements, resignations, promotions and discharges must be considered for deciding the time of recruitment.

Type of salesmen needed: To arrive at the type of salesmen needed, the important answer to this question is to analyze the background of the existing successful salesmen to establish the qualification required for future salesmen.

FUNTIONAL TYPE OF SALESMEN:

Specialty salesmen: employed for either launching new products or reviving the sales of existing products. Junior salesmen: employed to save the time of senior salesmen by performing non -selling activities like maintaining information about prospects, conducting displays and demonstrations etc.

Missionary salesmen: they assist wholesalers and retailers in the sale of manufacturers products. Senior salesmen: involved in full sales activity with out the work of locating prospects. Expert salesmen: those serving in foreign market. They are usually promoted from domestic sales force. Sales Engineers: engages in the sale of technical product and usually sell to professional buyers whom demand technical information.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECRUITING SALESMEN: In small firms turnover of salesmen is usually low and the recruiting problem is relatively simple. In such firms the responsibility for recruitment is on the sales manager, who locates and recruits the salesmen through his personal contacts. In large organizations where the turnover of salesmen is high, the responsibility for recruitment is centralized at head quarters. RECRUITMENT METHODS: The first step in recruitment is too clearly state the type of salesmen required. The type of salesmen required depends on products sold, type of buyers, demand for the product and the nature of the sales job. The type of salesmen required may be determined through job analysis. Job Analysis: This is a technique to establish the personal characteristics necessary for the job. Job analysis is done by the sales managers through their own knowledge of the nature of the sales job, by observing salesmen on the job or even by asking each salesman to list out his duties.

Then the difficulties encountered by the salesmen while performing them is determined by observing them on the job and asking them to list out their problems. Such type of job analysis clearly describes the qualifications needed for the success in selling, with respect to personal qualities, experience and abilities to perform the specific duties.

Analyze personal history records: Another way of determining the desirable traits for a salesman of a specific product is by going through the personal history records of the existing successful salesmen of the firm. By going through the records the salesmen are given ratings depending on factors like sales volume producers, new accounts secured, sales expense ratio, product contribution etc. After arriving at the successful salesmen, this is taken as a guide to fix the qualifications for the salesmen the firm is looking for. Analysis of Terminations: Analysis of the personal characteristics and qualification of the salesmen who have left the firm is also important for fixing the qualifications for new salesmen. At the time of a salesman having an exit the sales executive to find out the reasons for leaving conducts interview. The information got by the firm through this method also of immense value in fixing the qualification for new salesmen. ESTABLISH STANDARD PERSONAL QUALIFICATION FOR SALESMEN: By going through all the steps mentioned above standard of personal qualifications in going to be established by the firm. The qualification of the applicant may be readily compared with the standard establishment to determine the applicants suitability for the job.

SOURCES OF THE SALESMEN: Sources from which present successful salesmen were secured. Previous occupation of present salesmen. Present salesmen through their references. Present customers. Present middlemen of the company. Within the organization. Salesmen from related lines. Salesmen from competitors. Sales managers in other lines. Open advertisement. Business schools. Employment services. Voluntary or unsolicited applications.