Employers
Your future sales rockstars: how to hire SDRs and BDRs that will grow within your company
<p>By Michael Pilon. 5 minute read One of the many reasons a junior hire could leave your organization is that they’re taking opportunities at another company – a challenge our clients regularly go through. But, hiring the right candidates who will stay and grow (and putting in the work to keep them onboard!) is critical. […]</p>
The Battlecard: GTM Competitive Intelligence for navigating this wild market (5 min read)
<p>by Asad Zaman The current state of the economy is equal parts terrifying and fascinating. From the zero-interest rates era – which meant virtually free money and funding rounds galore – we’ve been jolted into one in which capital is tight and startups have to justify every dollar they raise. Not every company was built […]</p>
These 13 answered questions will help you bounce back after a layoff
<p>By Michael Pilon As you’ve likely seen in the posts dotting your LinkedIn timeline recently, mass layoffs have been happening worldwide, especially in tech. In fact, in 2023 alone, tech startups across the globe have laid off over 135,000 employees (2022 saw over 160,000 cuts). Even tech giants like Meta and Shopify aren’t safe, having […]</p>
From AE to CEO: Sales Hacker Podcast Episode 200 with Asad Zaman
<p>In the 200th episode of the Sales Hacker Podcast, they interviewed Asad Zaman, CEO of Sales Talent Agency (STA), where he rose through the ranks from AE to CEO, earning recognition as Toronto’s Young Professional of the Year (2019). Listen below for an entrepreneurial conversation about how to modernize your talent acquisition approach for both […]</p>
HR Talks – Episode 2
<p> In business and politics, leaders around the world have spent the past year facing a real-time leadership test due to the global pandemic. And, while the global pandemic has certainly reshaped the way organizations operate, it also, more specifically, has reshaped the notions of women in leadership roles. Numerous studies have shown that women-led […]</p>
The Customer Success Roundtable – Episode 2
<p>Customer Success Managers, Account Managers, and Retention Specialists are all roles that are critical to a scaling organization, and retaining/growing recurring revenue. These roles are so critical in fact, that there are over 18,000 jobs posted on LinkedIn looking to hire this talent in Canada, AND the demand for these roles outweighs the supply by 52%. […]</p>
The History, Current State & Future of Diversity in PreSales Engineering
<p> DIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT. But, hiring a diverse team is easier said than done, especially in the world of PreSales Engineering. That said, data on who has been included in the PreSales Engineering space is limited, so in partnership with the PreSales Collective, we hosted a webinar to uncover the field’s history, current state, and […]</p>
Top 5 Trends Changing Sales, Forever – 2020 Sales 3.0 Conference
<p>The sales community has been turned upside down in their approach to selling in 2020 with a global pandemic. We need more strategic, proactive, and brave sales leaders & sales professionals to lead the new Road to Sales Success for 2021. During this session, a powerhouse of Sales Leaders, including our very own Sonya Meloff, […]</p>
HR Talks – Episode 1
<p>Radical lifestyle changes caused by the global pandemic have taken a toll on the mental and physical health of employees. In fact, 1 in 5 employees traditionally experienced mental health problems, but today, this has increased by approximately 150%, where 50% of employees say their mental health has worsened due to COVID-19. Yet, having healthy […]</p>
Navigating Turbulence: How HR Leaders Can Help Businesses Get Through This Tough Economic Climate
<p>COVID-19 is impacting every aspect of our lives including how our employees feel, what we can expect of them during this period, and what they need from their leaders to feel engaged and supported. HR professionals have a very important role to play in helping their business leaders understand the needs of their teams during […]</p>
Learning from Necessity: How Sales Leaders are Evolving Their Strategies in a Tough Economic Climate
<p>COVID-19 has presented us with economic challenges that we need to face head-on. It’s a chance to improve and innovate and find a new way forward. We need to be asking ourselves, how can we make our sales infrastructure and approach better than it was before? Watch this virtual event collaboration with Thoughtexchange to hear […]</p>
The Customer Success Roundtable – Episode 1
<p>Tension between Sales and Customer Success teams can be a common challenge at high growth companies. Traditionally, these teams have operated in silos, even though so much of what they do is connected. Inconsistencies between these units regarding the customer experience are considered almost status quo, but could lead to serious issues such as lost deals, higher […]</p>
We are excited to introduce Sales Talent Agency’s first ever Chief Executive Officer and Chief Customer Officer
<p>Building Sales Talent Agency has been an amazing experience. We had the idea for a sales-specific recruitment company in early 2007 and launched in July of that year. The recruitment market was changing a lot at the time: the Internet had given agencies and internal recruiters bigger access to talent than ever before but it […]</p>
The Secrets to Equipping Your Go-To-Market Team for Success in a Challenging Environment
<p>As 2020 winds down, we’re on the road to recovery, but the pandemic has faced us with social and economic challenges that mean customers are erring on the side of caution with their spending. It’s a scenario we’ll likely be facing into 2022. How do we equip our sales, marketing, and customer success teams for […]</p>
The Solution Engineer: The Most Critical Sales Role During COVID-19
<p> By Ali Alizadeh and Kaitlyn Tissington-Turner Every industry across the globe has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and every individual’s job has changed in the short-term. However, the Solution Engineer (SE) has not received the attention it deserves given how critical they have proven to be for a company’s success in this new […]</p>
Sonya Meloff, Co-Founder of Sales Talent Agency, Featured on Uvaro’s ‘The Future Of’
<p> Our Co-Founder, Sonya Meloff, participated in Uvaro’s first ‘Future Of’ event, with Anil Dharni of Sense, and Sahil Mansuri of Bravado, where they discussed what the future of sales development and sales as a service looks like moving forward. Even before our socially-distanced […]</p>
5 things we learned from “Cross-Border Hiring: Everything you need to know!” webinar
<p>Sales Talent Agency was pleased to host a webinar to discuss various aspects of ‘cross-border hiring’ with two leading legal authorities on the subject. Below is a summary of the top 5 takeaways from the webinar and a link to the full video is also available here. We were joined by two legal experts: Bonnie […]</p>
The Predictable Revenue Podcast: The ins and outs of sales recruiting with Jamie Scarborough of Sales Talent Agency
<p>On this edition of The Predictable Revenue Podcast, co-host Collin Stewart welcomes Jamie Scarborough, Co-Founder of The Sales Talent Agency Jamie has been on the forefront of sales recruitment for more than a decade: in addition to founding Sales Talent Agency, he also co-founded the Great Canadian Sales Competition, the biggest national student competition in Canada. […]</p>
10 tips for hiring and onboarding remotely
<p>BY: Sheila Cassidy and Asad Zaman 1. When you’re looking for talent, rethink your ideal candidate profile We know the qualities that we typically look for in a hire from high DNA, a strong background, metrics to support it, the list goes on. But also think about the people on your team that are thriving working […]</p>
How we plan to manage, support and build mutual trust with our home-based team
<p>BY: JAMIE SCARBOROUGH When we started Sales Talent Agency in 2007, almost 80% of B2B salespeople were outside reps. They travelled throughout their territory daily and were rarely, if ever, in the office. As a sales manager, your role was to stay engaged and be valuable to them when you were not in the same […]</p>
Sales tool review mini-series episode 2: ZoomInfo
<p>On episode 2 of our sales tool review miniseries we take a look at ZoomInfo, a data aggregator that helps users connect with companies across the globe. Check out the quick video below that gives a tutorial of the main functionality of the tool as well as recommendations on whether or not this is something […]</p>
Sales tool review mini-series episode 1: LevelEleven
<p>Introducing a new short-video series featuring quick reviews of the most popular sales tools available on the market. The reality is that there are thousands of different products on the market that claim to be able to help your sales team, but how do you know which ones are actually going to be useful? Our […]</p>
Confidence vs. competence: how to manage a new sales hire through 4 stages
<p>BY: Stefan karpowicz Great sales leaders know that making a successful sales hire is as much about equipping the candidate post-hire as it is about the candidate themselves. While there is an entire list of things you should consider when hiring a salesperson, a thoughtful management approach is critical for fast ramp-up and long-term engagement. […]</p>
How to successfully onboard remote salespeople
<p>BY: ASAD ZAMAN The future of work looks remote. That’s not a bleak analysis of the employment forecast – recessions come and go, but in the digital age, remote sales roles are here to stay. Working remotely offers a number of benefits to employees: they don’t have to commute to work, they don’t have to […]</p>
Beginner’s guide to building a sales team
<p>By: Jamie Scarborough Most companies in 2019 know the value of having a specific lead generation team to drive more new business meetings. In its best form, this focused, energetic and highly measurable business unit can ensure more experienced, highly-paid Account Executives maximize their time in client engagements, as opposed to dialling for dollars or […]</p>
How to empower your sales team to overachieve
<p>BY DAN SILVERBACK As a sales leader, a large part of your job is to assign performance targets and help your sales team achieve them. Luckily, there are many resources available to you to help ensure your team hits their targets. However, the work doesn’t stop there. Even if your whole sales team hits their […]</p>
Webinar: How HR professionals can equip their sales teams for success
<p> We have partnered with WorkTango to present a webinar on how HR professionals can equip their sales teams for cultural and organizational success. Check out the full webinar here. Do you want more content like this? Subscribe below to get our latest articles, podcasts, webinars and more delivered right to your inbox! […]</p>
Managing Director of Siteimprove Canada, Mike Cart, speaks to how he built a revenue generating SaaS company in the Canadian market
<p> In episode 1 of All About Revenue, we sit down with Managing Director of Siteimprove, Mike Cart, to discuss his journey to becoming a sales leader, and his strategy for building out a revenue generating SaaS company in the Canadian market. Asad: Today’s All About Revenue podcast is with Mike Cart, the Managing […]</p>
Webinar: How to hire, onboard and retain a scaling sales team
<p>We have partnered with Nudge.ai to present a webinar on how to hire, onboard and retain a scaling sales team. Check out the full webinar here.</p>
5 tips to bridge the gap between your sales and marketing team
<p> BY STEFAN KARPOWICZ While most small and medium sized businesses employ both a sales team and a marketing team, there is often a lapse in the ability for these two departments to work together to achieve a common goal. In fact, according to a study done by Forrester, only 8% of companies have strong […]</p>
The 3 biggest mistakes companies make when hiring sales engineers
<p> BY ALI ALIZADEH Over the past decade, the sales engineer (SE) has arguably become one of the most important business hires alongside the sales team. They play an integral part in the sales process by helping develop and present compelling solutions to the buyers while also presenting the competitive advantages of their solution. In […]</p>
How to Build a World-Class Sales Team Webinar
<p> By Asad Zaman Click here to view the full webinar. This 60-minute workshop on How to Build a World-Class Sales Team will provide you with best-practice sales recruitment strategies and will cover topics such as: 1. How to FIND qualified sales people 2. How to ATTRACT the best candidates and position your company […]</p>
Asad Zaman, Partner and Managing Director of Executive Talent Agency, featured on The North Report
<p> Check out STA Partner and Managing Director of Executive Search, Asad Zaman, as he sits down with The North Report to discuss go-to-market team structures and strategies for hiring great sales talent as an early stage company!</p>
Top 5 questions about sales compensation (Full Version)
<p>Over the past 12 years, our team at Sales Talent Agency has been asked a lot of questions on the topic of sales compensation. Below is an amended transcript of a presentation by Sonya Meloff on the top 5 most popular questions. The original video is presented by MaRS Discovery District at the Mastering Talent: […]</p>
Sales Hacker Podcast: how sales managers should build their career path w/ Jamie Scarborough
<p> In this episode of Sales Hacker, Jamie Scarborough sits down with Sam Jacobs to talk about the secrets to managing an amazing sales career. To listen to the full podcast, click here.</p>
Top 5 Questions About Sales Compensation
<p>Over the past 12 years, our team at Sales Talent Agency has been asked a lot of questions on the topic of sales compensation. Below is an amended transcript of a presentation given by Sonya Meloff on the top 5 most popular questions presented by MaRS Discovery District at the Mastering Talent: Startup Compensation event. For the […]</p>
Lessons from an executive: Charlie Atkinson
<p>BY KEVIN HESARI A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to speak with Charlie Atkinson about managing relationships, working with technical talent, and some of the key habits he had that helped him get to where he wanted to be. Charlie’s background includes being both a Marketing leader at organizations like Sharp and Kodak, managing […]</p>
Canadian Business Feature: How to build a stellar sales force
<p>Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies are indisputable experts in selling stuff really, really well. Who better to give advice on revving up sales? It isn’t easy to get a sales gig at Home Painters Toronto. For Brian Young, the CEO of the Toronto-based company (2018 Growth 500: No. 205), the hunt for a new addition to his […]</p>
TradeGecko, VP of Global Sales, Stephen Defina, speaks to building a profitable organization
<p> This allows you to find the right units to measure growth and determine if you are getting closer to completing your mission. One key piece of advice from Stephen was that you should not be looking for “sales reps”, but should be looking for problem solvers. At its core, your team should consist of individuals […]</p>
Nudge.ai CEO, Paul Teshima, talks to the importance of building relationships and a successful sales strategy
<p> Nudge.ai is a relationship intelligence platform that uses artificial intelligence to find actionable insights on prospects and helps salespeople manage/measure their relationships with clients. When engaging with prospects or nurturing relationships with current clients, Paul believes that sales professionals should focus on lead quality over lead quantity. He states that 84% of sales start […]</p>
Loopio Co-Founders, Jafar and Zakir, talk about attracting top sales talent and growing a company culture
<p> After graduating from university, Jafar and Zak figured they would work a few years, get an MBA and work toward a corporate executive career like many others; which was the case for Jafar. However, after both were exposed to the startup bug they knew it was the path they wanted to pursue. Jafar and Zak’s early […]</p>
Citron Hygiene EVP of Sales and Marketing, Alison Mahoney, talks about understanding your role and growth in an organization
<p>This interview spoke much about the importance of drive, hunger, and an understanding of what it takes to be successful as key indicators of potential in salespeople. Alison focuses on making sure each member of her team understands their position and that without their efforts, that she would not be able to make her business […]</p>
Honk Founder & CEO, Michael Back, talks about the evolution of sales and the trait he most respects in a sales person
<p>Michael Back (MB): On the consumer side, Honk is here to make it easier to search, find, reserve and pay for parking. On the owner and operator side, it’s about putting more cars in their parking lots. That’s really what it boils down to. Jamie Scarborough (JS): Collective POS, your last business which you built […]</p>
Firmex CEO, Joel Lessem on “building a machine”, a culture of respect, and why Firmex will never hire sales engineers
<p> Tell us about Firmex today. Joel Lessem (JL): Firmex is 11 years old now. We are a for profit SaaS company. You find a lot of them aren’t making money. We’ve grown steadily in North America and now overseas. We’re over 100 employees and a “rule of 40” company. Great operating business with the […]</p>
Five things I learned in my first year as a Sales Manager
<p>Sonya and her SDR team at the 2017 STA holiday party by Sonya Meloff In 2017, I embarked on a journey to build a sales team for Sales Talent Agency. Prior to that, we’d never had one, as I had been the only “dedicated” sales person. This worked well for many years but by the […]</p>
What has changed in sales in the past 10 years
<p> BY SONYA MELOFF | September 14, 2017 This month, our company Sales Talent Agency will be celebrating a very exciting 10 year milestone as a business and, in honour of the occasion, I spouted my mouth off in a meeting (as I’m so apt to do) that it would be fun to put out a […]</p>
10 Years of STA: The Sales Revolution
<p>Sales Talent Agency opened its doors in 2007. Back then, sales was the accidental career. Today sales is one of the most sought-after jobs in every company. In the last 10 years almost everything has changed for a sales professional… It has been an amazing decade for Canada’s biggest sales recruitment company. More than 8,000 […]</p>
Is there any value to your value proposition?
<p>BY JAMIE SCARBOROUGH While our job at Sales Talent Agency is to help companies hire sales people, we spend a huge amount of our time ensuring our clients equip their hires for success. After all, if a salesperson we introduce does not perform well, our own value to the customer drops. One of the most […]</p>
9 tips for presenting a job offer to your preferred candidate
<p>N<span style="font-size:13px">ot every entrepreneur is a born recruiter, but hiring the right people is essential to making your business a success. And identifying great candidates is only part of the problem. Once you’ve found them, you’ve got to get them through the door.</span></p>
4 Situations When You Should Trust Sales Recruitment Specialists
<p>Finding and hiring talented sales associates for your company is a difficult and time consuming process. Sifting through resumes, conducting interviews and narrowing down candidates takes your attention away from running your business.</p>
How to Choose a Recruiter & Develop a Great Relationship
<p>When looking for a recruiter for your company, there are a lot of things to take into consideration. Finding the right employees is one of the most essential parts of any business, and without outstanding hires, you will not be successful.</p>
7 Benefits of Using Headhunters for Sales Positions
<p>Regardless of business type, you need top sales talent if you want to maximize your revenues and open the door to continued and even explosive growth going forward. </p>
Why you can’t find young people to fill sales positions
<p>The traditional list of desirable vocations has expanded in recent years, as parents begin to recognize that it’s possible to make good money doing jobs today that didn’t exist when they were growing up.</p>
6 common questions about building a successful sales compensation plan
<p>The answers to six common questions about building a successful sales compensation plan</p>
4 Critical Things to Look For in a New Graduate Hire
<p>How to identify high-potential young sales talent.</p>
What to pay a new sales hire
<p>Money matters, whether you’re recruiting a young graduate or a star performer.</p>
5 Moneyball tactics to build a winning sales team
<p>Top talent is often unaffordable or unavailable. How to build a super sales squad of unconventional candidates</p>
The Smart Way to Deal With Pregnant Employees
<p>How to make a great work environment for pregnant employees</p>
8 Eye Openers in Sales Resumes
<p>What to look for on a resume</p>
Creating “buzz” around your business
<p>BY SONYA MELOFF “Every time we finish helping a client on a project, when we send the invoice, we request them to write a reference letter on their company letterhead. We’ve told our employees that if they can get a reference letter from their clients, we’ll pay them $100. Before we knew it, we had […]</p>
Are your top sales reps going to jump ship?
<p>Think your top salespeople are about to be poached by competition? Here’s what you can do to keep them loyal.</p>
The world’s best interview question
<p>5 hiring tactics to avoid ending up with salespeople who can’t sell</p>
Sales star’s gone wild!
<p>What to do when your best salespeople start acting like spoiled brats</p>
What salary should a new graduate expect for their first professional sales rep role?
<p>By SONYA MELOFF Great question! A recent graduate with no sales experience but tonnes of energy and enthusiasm should expect a salary range from $25-45k for their first role. Sales roles should also offer a commission/bonus that rewards performance. If you achieve your annual targets as a new sales rep, you should expect a total […]</p>
5 reasons to fire your sales manager
<p>Watch for these solid indicators that it’s time to make a change to your sales team</p>
How much should you pay your sales reps
<p>Specific guidelines on what you’ll get for your money, and which types of reps are worth the extra spend</p>
Hootsuite CEO on the Cost of a Bad Hire
<p>By Peymaneh Chychi As a Vancouver-based business person, I have long been interested in Hootsuite as it has surged from a “What is Hootsuite?” to a “Hootsuite is great!” positioning in the marketplace. The CEO, Ryan Holmes, has seen his share of hiring decisions and has some really insightful thoughts on the unexpected costs of […]</p>
10 Reasons Your Top Talent Will Leave You
<p>The challenge isn’t always finding top talent; it is being able to keep it By Megan Dalton The challenge isn’t always finding top talent; it is being able to keep it! When organizations are faced with top talent leaving their company it can be costly, disruptive and discouraging. For this reason, determining the reasons […]</p>
Your Sales Management Checklist
<p>BY SONYA MELOFF Simplify your commission plan Make it easy for your reps to know the specific activity you want from them (e.g. new clients vs. growing existing clients) Create a company-wide “elevator pitch” To ensure everyone tells a consistent story and value proposition Launch an internal initiative for reference letters They will help your […]</p>
How to Spot a Poor Sales Person
<p>(even when your eyes tell you different!) BY SONYA MELOFF Your candidate may appear like the perfect sales hire – but are your eyes deceiving you? Even if your prospective candidate looks like a 10/10, has a charming personality and exudes the perfect amount of confidence– don’t be too quick to jump to, “you’re hired!” […]</p>
5 Tips for Getting Sales Leads
<p> BY SONYA MELOFF Are you not selling because you have no one to sell to? Simple solution – get hunting! It is easy to say that you are out of leads and admit defeat – but the separation from a good-to-great sales person lies in the dedication to seek out opportunities when opportunities seem […]</p>
How to choose your next sales rep and equip them for success
<p>BY Amanda Rootenberg For every sales person that gets hired there is a business owner or hiring manager who wants to make more money and get a bigger share of their market. That goal is constant. The results are not. Why do some sales hires turn into top performers that are instrumental in growing your […]</p>
Another happy candidate!
<p>Helping a quality sales rep find a great role and navigate their way to a successful hire is a lot of work, but can be extremely rewarding. Last week we placed a fantastic Toronto-based territory sales rep who had worked hard to build his skill-set and was looking for the next career step. We placed him with […]</p>
When can we call ourselves a “medium-sized company”
<p>BY SONYA MELOFF Sorry in advance if I am overwhelming you with my prolific blogging. One in 2007, another in 2009, and now a 3rd in 2011! I really must take a nap after this. Hey, give me a break! It takes a lot of time and energy to run a small and growing company. […]</p>
Your Guide to Identifying a Great Sales Resume
<p>A tool for sales managers, entrepreneurs and professional recruiters on what to look for in a sales resume</p>
The Employer’s Checklist: Tips for Equipping Your Sales Rep
<p>How to make sure your sales rep has everything they need to be productive and happy</p>
What Sales Talent Can You Get For Your Money?
<p>BY SONYA MELOFF A typical sales person’s compensation model is 50% salary, 50% variable at plan, especially for roles that require both new business development AND account management (higher base/lower commissions is expected for “farming” roles, and lower base/higher commissions is often offered for “hunter” roles) A strong sales person will want uncapped commission potential […]</p>
How to Choose a Recruitment Partner
<p>Advice for companies when looking to engage a professional recruitment firm</p>
The Future Of Selling: It’s Social
<p>Written By: Brian Fetherstonhaugh In the era of Facebook, Google, Twitter and Yelp, buyers have as much control over the flow of information as salespeople. Buying, once a one-way interaction between an informed seller and a curious buyer, has become a conversation between equals, and the revolution in buying behavior is still ongoing. To find out […]</p>