As we enter the new year, it’s clear that companies are increasingly turning to digital marketing to promote their products. In fact, according to a recent Gartner’s CMO Spend Report, digital marketing budgets are likely to increase by 8% in 2015. With higher demand for such services comes the need to recruit the right salespeople.

So what should digital marketing companies look for as their search for top sales talent? And how do they go about locating the best?

Tech-Savvy, Proactive & Loves to Sell

Great digital marketing salespeople possess that rarest of blends – technology knowhow together with people skills. Of course, they should be able to close deals with ease. But in today’s data-driven world, they also need to truly understand the technological products or services they are selling. They need to “speak tech,” to understand the DNA of the online service they represent and how it would match with a potential buyer.

Some companies end up hiring tech-savvy types who are relatively inexperienced at sales, but that can be a costly mistake. Today, with the trend towards growing investments in inbound marketing, salespeople must have especially high-level people skills and more emotional intelligence than ever. Prospects do their pre-sales research via company sites and social media, and they take into account the company’s total web presence. By the time they contact a company, 75% of the buying process is complete. This is where an ace salesperson comes in. Someone needs to connect with each potential customer, to understand their needs, and to guide them to just the right digital solution.

Top sales staff also needs a deep feel for the competition. They should be able to walk customers through their product or service, showing how it easily leaves competitors in the dust. That takes a subtle kind of persistence. And when it is done properly, it can literally change the course of a company’s future.

But tech knowledge and good sales skills are not enough. In the digital marketing world, sales staff must be proactive at all times. With more customer communication happening over social media, great salespeople should be skilled at maintaining ties with satisfied customer. Happy customers can easily be turned into amazing social media ambassadors for any company. It’s up to the sales staff to help make that happen.

How to locate and hire the best salespeople

• Make use of the best recruiting websites. Search relevant websites for candidates who have the expertise and personality for the job. It makes sense to search online for digital professionals. They love being online, so you need to be there too. Try SEO Job Finder, which has been matching top-tier candidates with great employers for the last seven years.
• Consult the experts. Sales Experts Executive Recruiters offers professional online marketing sales recruiting services. They act as executive headhunters helping companies locate the truly golden passive candidates. Best of all, they assist through-out the entire phase of recruitment, ensuring an all-around successful outcome.