Last Sunday I was in Harvard Square with 45 minutes to kill before meeting friends for lunch. So, I did what every garden-lover would do, and took myself over to the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow House on historic Brattle Street for a leisurely stroll in the beautiful gardens (and a quick check of the gift shop too!).

In the shop, I picked up a copy of Longfellow's famous poem, "The Rainy Day." I know you have heard the most famous line in the poem — "into each life some rain must fall." "Hmmm," I thought, "with what's happening to our economy, stock market, my 401(k) and some companies I know, I think I'm living in a tsunami!"

There's no doubt about it. Like me, many CEOs and managers are feeling the effects of the economic storm that's out there. But I say, "every good poem deserves a good idiom," and "every cloud has a silver lining."


Opportunity in Chaos

Unfortunately, many managers have been forced to make drastic cutbacks in recent weeks. Not only have they done the obvious cutting of expenses, but many have been forced to make even more draconian ones. It goes without saying that the underperformers go first, but one manager I spoke with admitted he had to "cut into the bone" while letting go some of his sales team.

I can confirm this is happening as the level of calls to recruiters by candidates on the hunt is going up dramatically. (Trust me on this!) And, many of the candidates who are on the market are very, very talented performers.


Time for an Upgrade

So here is the silver lining we've been waiting for…

There's never been a better time to upgrade your sales force! Savvy managers will capitalize on the chaotic economic scene and seize the moment to hire some of the top talent that is out there.

Here are the steps to take for you to potentially find yourself a rainmaker:

1. Assess: Honestly (and confidentially) assess your current team. Knowing that there are performers out there should give you the added security of taking a long, hard look at the numbers. Decide how many and who can be replaced.



2. Search: Confidentially start the search process. Be sure your network, your recruiters, and anyone involved understands that at this point your search is confidential.



3. Make Your Choice: Based on the performance metrics of your top performers and your ideal profile for your sales team, hire yourself the top talent you'll need to get the numbers you need!



4. Make the Cuts: First, meet with each of the sales team who will be staying to reassure them of their value to the organization. Then proceed with letting your underperformers go. Ask your HR professional for help in this step if you need it.



5. Solidify Your Team: One thing is for sure: uncertainty will be with us for a while. It's critical for you to be sure your new sales team is working at top performance levels. It's critical that there be no "new" underperformers.



6. Beef Up on Sales Training: If you think your team might benefit from some additional sales training, call your favorite sales trainer, consultant, or sales guru and get on the waiting list. These guys and gals are going to be very busy, as savvy managers realize that now is the time to ensure their sales team is performing at 110%. It's short dollars for the return on that investment.

We're delighted to announce that Sales and Marketing Search has recently joined the Top Echelon Network of Recruiters.

Top Echelon Network, which is an exclusive, monitored network of recruiters, will give us additional capability sourcing top talent nationwide for our clients, and the capability to expose our top candidates to opportunities throughout the country. We couldn't be happier! If you'd like to find out how this network can help you find top talent or find a job, just click "reply" and I'll be happy to explain it to you.