How South West Employers Can Attract and Hire Top Sales Talent

Sales teams are the revenue engine of most businesses, but building a strong one in the South West has rarely felt trickier. 

• Customers expect digital-first, consultative sales interactions 

• Hiring budgets are under pressure 

• Salespeople are navigating changing skill expectations, hybrid working and AI-driven tools 

If you’re a South West employer hiring sales talent, from entry-level sales roles to experienced Account Managers, here’s how to shape a recruitment strategy that actually works.

1. Understand how sales roles are changing

Sales is no longer just about persuasion; it’s about insight, technology and relationship management. 

Recent UK sales research highlights that: 

• Sales leaders expect core sales skills to evolve significantly over the next five years 

• AI and automation are reshaping prospecting, forecasting and account management 

• Many sales professionals still feel undervalued, despite being business-critical 

At the same time, firms working across B2B sales agree that the future of sales is: 

• Hybrid and digital by default 

• Data-led, with heavy CRM usage 

• Spread across multiple channels: phone, video, email, social and face-to-face 

When recruiting salespeople in the South West, employers should be looking for: 

• Strong relationship builders 

• Confidence using CRM and digital tools 

• People who can collaborate effectively in hybrid teams

2. Be clear on the sales role you actually need

A vague brief is one of the biggest causes of failed sales hires. 

Common sales roles we recruit for across Devon, Bristol and the wider South West include: 

• BDR / SDR – qualifying inbound and outbound leads 

• Account Executive – managing the full sales cycle 

• Account Manager – retaining and growing existing clients 

• Field Sales / Territory Manager – region-based, face-to-face sales 

• Inside Sales / Telesales – phone and online-led roles 

Before advertising, be clear: 

• Is this primarily new business, account growth, or both? 

• Are they selling to consumers, SMEs or complex B2B buyers? 

• Is success driven by long-term relationships or short-cycle deals? 

Clear briefs attract better candidates and reduce drop-outs later in the process. 

3. Align your offer with what modern salespeople care about

Salary and commission still matter, but they’re no longer enough on their own. 

Sales candidates increasingly prioritise: 

• Career development and progression 

• Hybrid working and flexibility 

• Culture, wellbeing and realistic targets 

• Belief in the product or service 

In the South West sales market, the strongest offers typically include: 

• Transparent, achievable commission structures 

• Clear KPIs with genuine support 

• Managers who coach, not just report 

• Flexibility where the role allows 

• A credible product or service 

If your offer hasn’t evolved in years, top sales talent will simply look elsewhere.

4. Design a recruitment process that mirrors good sales practice

Your recruitment process is a reflection of your sales culture. 

Do: 

• Move quickly, strong sales candidates rarely wait 

• Communicate clearly at every stage 

• Use short, relevant tasks (roleplay, pitch summary, email review) 

Don’t: 

• Overload candidates with unnecessary stages 

• Introduce surprise tasks late on 

• Ask for unpaid strategic work 

A respectful, efficient process signals that you value sales as a profession, something many candidates say is missing.

5. Think beyond the “perfect CV”

With employment levels high across much of the South West, employers often need to hire for potential, not just experience. 

Great salespeople often come from: 

• Hospitality or customer-facing roles 

• Retail or commission-based environments 

• Non-traditional commercial backgrounds 

Look for: 

• Resilience and drive 

• Comfort with targets 

• Clear communication 

• Curiosity and coachability 

Then support them with: 

• Structured onboarding 

• A clear 90-day plan 

• Ongoing coaching, not just pipeline reviews

6. Work with a recruiter who understands sales, and theSouth West

Sales recruitment isn’t about volume; it’s about fit. 

The best hires align with: 

Your product or service 

• Your sales cycle and culture 

• Your manager’s leadership style 

As a South West-focused recruiter, I spend time understanding what “good” looks like in different sales teams, from high-volume inside sales to complex B2B roles across Devon, Somerset and beyond. 

That leads to: 

• More accurate shortlists 

• Fewer wasted interviews 

• Better long-term hires 

If sales hiring has felt painful recently, it’s often the brief or process, not the talent pool, that needs adjusting.