It’s getting tougher to find good sales people. And it won’t get easier.

Competition is a fact of life in the American economic system and, more than ever before, this includes competition for people. When you start a search for a salesperson today, you’re not only competing with others in your industry, you’re competing with industry in general.

Though unemployment is high, good people are still hard to find. This places the burden of finding and developing profitable sales producers squarely on your shoulders.

There clearly is a need for better salespeople and for more effective recruitment and selection methods to get them. A recent inquiry among wholesaling corporations indicates that 57 percent are always scouting for at least one salesperson.

Everyone appreciates the high cost of turnover among salespeople. Estimates place the total at $9,000 to $14,000 if a company hires, trains and then fires a sales rep after one year on the job. This includes advertising, employment agency fees, salaries or draws and expenses, as well as training and breaking-in time.

But what about the hidden cost of turnover? Sales lost due to poor salesmanship, the cost of hiring another person all over again, and lost prestige among customers who wonder why people leave your employment so often!

The seasoned sales executive is constantly on the alert for good people.

For the most part, he ignores the two most common methods of finding candidates–newspaper advertising and employment agencies. Ads for sales people have stopped pulling as well as they once did. And many agency counselors are untrained in sales personnel techniques and only interested in their commission. Besides, a good sales person usually doesn’t go to an agency when he is out of work.

Here are nine uncommon ways to find candidates in today’s competitive labor market.

Visit Junior Colleges

There are hundreds of junior colleges in the U.S. They offer a rich source of younger men and women who recognize the need for education, but some may lack either the finances or academic motivation to seek a four-year degree. Many of these people are eager for a money-making career like selling, and you can reach them via placement officers.

Contact Customers and Suppliers

Ask your customers and suppliers to refer sales candidates. Naturally they won’t give up their own sales people, but they may know of good reps who are dissatisfied and seeking a change.

Evaluate Present Employees

Conduct a talent search right under your own roof. People on inside jobs may have latent sales talent. Psychological and aptitude tests will help you find out. Study the early background of your present sales reps and you may be surprised to discover how many began in technical or office jobs.

Enlist Your Present Salesforce

Never conduct a sales meeting without asking for help in finding new people. Many companies have successfully used contests or bonuses to spur their present sales people to make referrals.

Use Trade Advertising

Trade publications offer a chance to tell your story and attract experienced people such as those who are working for straight salary and view commission selling as a greener field. The cost of such advertising is low.

Sunday Hot Line

If you choose to use newspaper advertising, consider running an ad in which you give the applicant the opportunity to phone you on Sunday–the day the ad appears in the newspaper. You might have to use your home phone for this purpose or go down to the office on a Sunday to receive calls. But you may find an aggressive salesperson who likes to get the jump on everyone else–exactly the kind of person you’re looking for.

Consider Armed Forces Veterans

We still have a million Americans in uniform. In most areas, there is a mustering out site for servicemen completing military duty. Contact placement officers at these sites and request a list of men scheduled for discharge. Some are bound to be experienced in selling. Others will have had leadership experience in the service and may possess outstanding sales potential. Contact the Officers Placement Service of the Retired Officers Association, 201 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 549-2311.

High Schools and Beyond

The evening high schools, particularly those that teach courses in salesmanship and distributor-related education, offer still another source of job applicants rarely tapped by sales management. And while you’re at it, don’t overlook your banker, service clubs, civic organizations, clergymen, politicians, lawyers and public officials as a source of referrals.

Hire College Drop-outs

College drop-outs can make good sales reps. Try attracting them with newspaper ads: “College? No College? We don’t care.” People in the lower half of their graduating class may also do well in sales. You may find conscientious young people, whose moderate educational goals are actually an asset in selling.

The Critical Step

All your work and effort may be wasted unless careful attention is given to the next step.

However you find a prospect, remember that good salespeople ask questions before they commit themselves. After all, they hope to make a long-term investment in you and are entitled to know as much about you as you need to know about them.

Here are some things applicants want to know today:

Is there a written employee benefit plan? Are salespeople included in such things as profit-sharing, insurance, vacation, sick-leave and the like?

Is there a well-defined chain of command that leaves no doubt about who is responsible for what and who makes important policy decisions?

Are the duties and responsibilities of salespeople clearly delineated? Will I know what is expected of me? And will I be able to compute exactly how much I am earning?

Are sales and operating policies and procedures defined clearly, so that I won’t work in a state of confusion and indecision regarding prices, when to promise deliveries, and which accounts are mine? (For a checklist of policies to put in writing, send $1.00 and a stamped return envelope to the author, Edgar S. Ellman, 300 N. State St., Chicago, IL, 60610).

A company organization chart, job description and written operation policy can answer many of the applicant’s stated and unstated questions, and will smooth the way so that you can arrive at the ultimate “hire or be hired” decision with the most facts at hand.

As a sales executive, you must be both a salesperson for your business and able to judge an applicant’s chances to do well. While selling the best candidates on the idea of coming to work for you, you must make a critical projection on their suitability for the job.