How to recruit account managers: 3 tips

A good account manager can make all the difference. The goal of these sales professionals? To bring in more revenue for your organisation by closing as many deals as possible. But a good account manager does more: they can give the whole team a boost of inspiration and motivation. So how do you recruit account managers who have both the right hard skills and soft skills? And what if someone has the right mindset, but doesn’t quite meet your other requirements? We give you 3 tips for your recruitment in the sales industry.

1. Looking for the (not so) perfect account manager

When recruiting account managers, you probably have certain wishes and requirements in mind. Has someone completed a commercial degree, for example? And do they have enough experience in the field? Watch out, because an ideal picture like that can limit your search. That’s why it’s often better to drop hard requirements like these and focus on someone’s potential instead. So where you would normally ask yourself, “Does this person know my industry?”, you could also ask, “Does this person have what it takes to adapt to my industry?”.

2. Where do you find them and how do you appeal to them?

Although it’s easy to lump all account managers together, they’re definitely not all the same. Still, they generally value a number of things. Salary and bonuses are certainly important. But development opportunities and a healthy work-life balance can also win sales professionals over. After all, that isn’t the case everywhere! Tip: mention examples of these benefits in your job ad (or ad copy). It makes your text more engaging and will therefore lead to more conversions.

LinkedIn, Facebook or your own network?

Which channels work best for this? When it comes to recruitment channels, you’re spoilt for choice. Account managers are often ambitious types, so focusing on LinkedIn and job boards is always a smart move. Facebook and Instagram are also platforms account managers use a lot. Of course, you can also use these channels organically for your sales recruitment: posting your vacancies on your timeline gets them even more views. And don’t forget to get the vacancy page on your company website in tip-top shape, and make the job ad accurate, complete and engaging.

Also, don’t underestimate your current colleagues’ own networks; they can definitely help you recruit account managers too. A referral bonus can provide that extra push, especially with your current sales team, which probably consists mainly of people who get an extra kick out of bonuses anyway.

3. Employer branding: for sales roles too

Employer branding has more than one goal, but bringing in new colleagues is certainly an important one. An employer branding campaign can be a good fit for sales profiles too. Above all, employer branding is about one thing: positioning your organisation as strongly as possible in the market as an employer. More and more organisations are now attracting and retaining talent through this kind of programme. A sustainable investment in your workforce, then!

A different view on recruiting account managers

Recruiting account managers gets easier when you change the way you look at sales recruitment. Look at it from the perspective of the account manager you have in mind, and don’t always go looking for a unicorn. That makes your recruitment process easier. And that’s what everyone wants, right?