Most sales leaders treat recruitment like an admin task. Big mistake. In this episode, I’m joined by David Revell, a specialist in finding, attracting and hiring top-tier sales talent in the cleaning and hygiene industry, to unpack why hiring is selling and why your job adverts probably stink.
David shares how most companies only ever reach the weakest 5–10% of the talent pool, why the best salespeople will never touch your generic HR-written advert, and how a simple shift to a marketing mindset can triple your response from the right candidates. He reveals the formula that took his ad conversion rate from 10% to 65% overnight, attracting top performers who weren’t even looking.
Forget tired job descriptions that read like professional ransom notes. This episode shows you exactly how to hook high-calibre salespeople, speak to their emotional triggers, and stand out from 10,000 other postings.
How to write sales job adverts that get results-
Stop talking about your company — make the advert all about what the candidate wants.
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Understand the difference between a job advert (front of the cereal box) and a job description (the boring back).
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Hook both the emotional brain (lifestyle, freedom, control) and the logical brain (evidence, proof you can deliver).
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Focus 90% of your copy on benefits the candidate will gain, 10% on your company.
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Use benefits that filter for the right cultural fit (e.g. office buzz vs remote freedom).
[02:19] – The biggest hiring mistake: treating recruitment as an admin task. [05:26] – Why most adverts only reach the weakest part of the talent pool. [08:13] – The tiny window when top passive candidates start looking. [10:44] – How David’s formula boosted ad success from 10% to 65% overnight. [15:04] – No one cares about your company — make it about them. [17:20] – Writing to emotional and logical drivers to hook the right people. [19:42] – Benefits as a bat signal for cultural fit. [28:01] – Case study: rewriting one ad landed a £25m-per-year sales leader on a pay cut.
Links & resources-
David Revell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-revell-8b0929b6/
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Charta Recruitment: https://www.chartarecruitment.com/
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, follow, share and review Leadership that Sells — it helps more sales leaders find the tools to lead first and sell more.
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