January 2017 may sound like the distant future, but in reality it is officially less than 12 weeks away. Considering that the holidays take up the last two weeks in December, hiring managers have even less time to ensure a strong sales team is in place in order to hit 2017 sales goals.

To put it another way, hiring managers simply don't have any time to waste when it comes to preparing for sales success in 2017. The clock is literally ticking.

Here are three reasons hiring managers need to focus on recruiting top sales professionals now in order to make 2017 the best sales year yet.

1. Recruiting, interviewing, background checks, presenting offers to top sales managers or sales reps, along with allowing time for them to provide a 2-week notice can take up to 10-12 weeks.
2. The closer to the holidays we get (taking into account Thanksgiving as well), the busier potential sales candidates (and hiring managers) will become. That equates to fewer opportunities for interviews, shadow-days, or sales rep ride-alongs.
3. Many businesses prefer not to offer start dates after the first or second week of December, simply because of office closures/time off for the holidays. This year Christmas and New Year's do happen to fall on the weekend. However, Hanukkah spans the entire week from December 24, 2016 through January 1, 2017. Therefore, it makes sense that in order to have new sales professionals hit the ground running come January, they will need to start early in November or early December.

In order to meet your sales goals in 2017, hiring managers can't afford to be underprepared come January. It's much easier to stay on target with your goals by starting out strong from the get-go, than it is to try to catch up later.

At Grapevine Targeted Sales Recruiting, we understand how crucial it is to have the best sales managers and sales reps on your team in order to reach your monthly, quarterly and annual sales goals. We are here for you today, to help you find and attract top sales professionals now, so that your sales soar in the future.

Andy Wright is the owner and an active recruiter at Grapevine - Targeted Sales Recruiting. Andy began his recruiting career in 2003, and has a proven track record of helping companies both large and small increase sales team retention and productivity through recruiting top talent. Prior to launching Grapevine in December of 2011, Andy held key leadership positions for two Twin Cities-based recruiting firms, training and managing teams of recruiters while developing new business and managing national account relationships. Visit www.brixrecruiting.com, call 952.856.2371 or email info@brixrecruiting.com.