Frequently Asked Questions
These are common questions we hear from business owners, executives, and hiring managers when they are building or scaling sales teams. Feel free to contact us with any questions you don’t see listed here.
Working With a Recruiter:
How much does a sales recruiter cost in Seattle?
In Seattle, sales recruiters typically charge a percentage of a candidate’s base salary. Fees are almost always calculated on base pay rather than on target earnings.
What determines how much a sales recruiter costs?
Several factors influence recruiting fees for sales roles, but the biggest drivers are role scope, seniority, and compensation.
Recruiting fees tend to increase as roles become more senior or specialized. A junior SDR search will typically fall at the lower end of the range, while a senior enterprise or leadership role will be higher.
Compensation also plays a role. Because fees are calculated on base salary, roles with higher base pay naturally result in higher fees, even when commission makes up a significant portion of total earnings.
Urgency matters as well. Searches that require faster turnaround or dedicated focus may use a retained model, which changes how and when fees are paid.
Are sales recruiter fees based on base salary or OTE?
For most sales recruiting engagements, fees are calculated on base salary only.
Sales compensation is highly leveraged, with a large portion of earnings coming from commission. Recruiter fees are not applied to variable compensation, which often makes recruiting fees for sales roles proportionally lower than fees for other senior positions where nearly all compensation is base pay.
How do retained and contingency sales recruiting costs differ?
Sales recruiting fees can vary depending on whether the engagement is contingency or retained.
Contingency recruiting
With contingency recruiting, the recruiter is paid only if a hire is made. There is no upfront fee. Because there is no exclusivity, companies sometimes work with multiple agencies at the same time.
This model works best when there are multiple openings for the same role or when urgency is lower.
Retained recruiting
With retained recruiting, the company works exclusively with one recruiter and pays part of the fee upfront. In exchange, the search receives priority and dedicated focus.
Retained searches are often used for critical hires, leadership roles, or situations where speed and precision matter more than casting a wide net.
What is the typical retained search payment structure?
A common retained search structure involves paying a portion of the projected fee at the start of the search, with the remainder due when the hire is made.
This upfront payment secures exclusivity and ensures the recruiter can prioritize the search within their workload.
What services are included in a sales recruiter’s fee?
A sales recruiter’s fee covers far more than candidate introductions.
Typical services include:
• An intake call with the hiring manager and stakeholders
• Development of an ideal candidate profile
• Candidate sourcing
• Full candidate vetting and qualification
• Candidate summaries outlining fit, experience, and compensation expectations
• Interview coordination and feedback management
• Offer support and closing assistance
As interviews progress, the recruiter refines the candidate profile based on feedback to improve alignment and speed. Learn more about Orin Rice’s sales recruiting process
Do sales recruiters handle interview scheduling and offers?
This varies by company preference.
In many cases, recruiters handle all scheduling on the candidate side and coordinate availability with the employer. Some companies prefer to manage internal scheduling themselves, while others share calendars and allow the recruiter to manage the entire process.
Offer presentation can also be handled either by the recruiter or directly by the employer, depending on what the company prefers.
Do sales recruiters offer replacement guarantees?
Yes. The industry standard replacement guarantee is ninety days.
If a hire leaves or is let go within that period for reasons related to performance or fit, the recruiter will typically conduct a replacement search at no additional fee.
If the role itself is eliminated or not backfilled, replacement guarantees do not apply.
What are common misconceptions about sales recruiter fees?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that recruiting fees are applied to total compensation.
In reality, fees are usually calculated on base salary only. Because sales roles include significant variable compensation, recruiting fees for sales positions are often lower relative to other senior roles in an organization.
Another misconception is that negotiating the lowest possible fee leads to better value. In practice, lower fees often result in less focus and fewer high-quality candidates, especially when multiple agencies are involved.
How does the cost of a recruiter compare to the cost of a bad sales hire?
Sales roles are revenue generating positions. A delayed or failed hire can cost far more than a recruiting fee.
If a role carries a seven figure annual quota, every month without the right hire represents lost revenue. Paying a recruiting fee to accelerate the hire often results in a net gain rather than an added cost.
Recruiters who specialize in sales hiring reduce risk by understanding motivation, market compensation, and what drives long term performance, not just resume alignment.
What should companies do before engaging a sales recruiter?
Before speaking with a recruiter, companies should have a clearly defined role scope.
This includes:
• Target experience level
• Compensation range
• High level quota expectations
• Whether the role is new or replacing someone
• What success looks like in the first year
If the compensation range or skill requirements are too broad, it often signals that the role is not fully defined yet. Clarifying these details leads to better pricing accuracy and faster results.
Advice for budgeting sales recruiting:
Sales recruiting fees should be evaluated against revenue impact, not as a standalone expense.
For revenue generating roles, accelerating the right hire often matters far more than minimizing recruiting costs. The sooner the role is filled with the right person, the sooner revenue generation begins.
If you are hiring sales talent in the Seattle area and want to understand recruiting costs, timelines, or the best approach for your specific role, we are happy to talk through it. Request a call
Hiring Sales Representatives
When should a company hire a Sales Manager instead of a Player Coach?
The decision comes down to where the founder or leadership team’s time is being consumed and whether the business can afford a non-revenue producing role. If leadership needs to free up time spent managing, coaching, and building process and the company has budget for a pure manager, a Sales Manager can make sense. If the company cannot afford to pay someone who is not directly producing revenue, a Player Coach is usually the right choice.
What makes a strong Player Coach?
The best Player Coaches are typically people who have already been Player Coaches before or top individual contributors who are ready for the next step in their career. Someone who has only ever been a pure manager often views a Player Coach role as a step backward, which can affect performance and engagement.
What should Leaders consider when structuring compensation for a first sales hire?
The most important question is whether you are compensating activities or results. In early-stage companies, especially when founders have been selling, there is often no proven sales motion. Compensation should reflect that uncertainty and reward the right behaviors, not just outcomes that may be outside the rep’s control.
How do sales cycle and market maturity affect compensation design?
Sales cycle length matters significantly. Long sales cycles and unproven product market fit require compensation plans that account for ramp time and delayed revenue. Without that, even strong reps can fall behind earnings expectations through no fault of their own.
Should first sales hires have guaranteed commissions or draw periods?
In many cases, yes. If there is risk tied to product maturity, sales cycle length, or unclear quotas, guaranteeing commissions for the first three, six, or even nine months can help retain strong talent while the motion is being validated.
How important is market benchmarking when setting comp?
Evaluate what market level compensation looks like for their industry and role. If equity is part of the offer, cash compensation may be lower. If the role carries significant risk, compensation often needs to be more protective on the base or guaranteed side.
Why is treating early sales hires differently than other roles a mistake?
In most organizations, engineers, finance, and operations earn the majority of their compensation simply for doing their job. Early sales hires are often the only role where pay is heavily tied to variables that are not yet proven. Treating first sales hires more like other functions during the first six to twelve months improves retention and long-term outcomes.
How long should it take an SDR to ramp?
A realistic SDR ramp often spans the first 30, 60, and 90 days, with full productivity coming after that depending on sales cycle, lead flow, and training quality. The key is setting expectations that reflect reality, not best-case scenarios.
How should SDR quotas be set when there is limited data?
When historical data is limited, quotas should be based on activity driven KPIs rather than pure output. This allows companies to evaluate whether the sales motion itself is working rather than assuming underperformance is a people issue.
Why do early SDR quotas often fail?
The most common mistake is setting quotas without understanding inbound volume, outbound effectiveness, or deal conversion rates. When quotas are unrealistic, strong SDRs disengage or leave, even if they are executing well.
How do you know if an SDR is underperforming or the system is broken?
If an SDR is hitting activity targets, handling objections well, and following the process but still missing quota, the issue is usually the system. Quota should be adjusted before performance is managed.
What is the difference between SDR, BDR, and MDR?
The difference is not the title but the function. There are two core motions. Inbound and outbound. Inbound roles handle incoming interest through email, chat, or calls. Outbound roles focus on proactive outreach, often into larger or more complex accounts. Companies often use these acronyms interchangeably even when the work is very different. Two people with the same title may be doing completely different jobs depending on whether they handle inbound leads or outbound prospecting.
What should employers focus on instead of titles?
Employers should evaluate what the candidate actually did. Who they sold to, how leads were generated, and whether they handled high intent inbound or cold outbound at scale. Function matters far more than title.
Interviewing
What should companies focus on when interviewing for entry level sales roles?
For SDR and BDR roles, focus on drive, presence on the phone, and how candidates handle objections. Giving live objections during the interview can give you valuable insight.
How should interviews differ for more experienced sales hires?
For more senior reps, past performance matters most. Employers should ask about quota, average deal size, sales velocity, typical buyers, and annual performance. These details reveal consistency and accountability.
What questions reveal true sales ability?
Ask candidates who they sold into, who the buyer was, and how they positioned value. Strong performers can clearly articulate this clearly.
What profile represents the strongest sales hire?
The ideal candidate sits at the intersection of industry experience and sales experience. Candidates who both understand the buyer and the sales process will reduce ramp time and risk.
What separates top performers from average sales hires?
Top performers can clearly articulate why they are a fit for the role and how their experience translates across industries. They understand value propositions, adapt to change, and are comfortable navigating ambiguity.
Why does adaptability matter for early sales hires?
Early stage and growing companies change quickly. The best hires are not rigid in their approach and can adjust as product, market, and process evolve.
Making an Offer
What is the biggest mistake companies make in the hiring process?
The most damaging mistake is putting an artificial deadline on an offer. Rushing a candidate into a decision leads to rushed acceptance and often faster turnover.
How much time should candidates be given to decide?
A 72 hour window is appropriate in most cases. If the offer is made late in the week, extending that to the following Monday builds trust and leads to better long term outcomes.
Why do rushed offers backfire?
When candidates feel pressured, they often continue interviewing elsewhere even after accepting. Giving time signals confidence in the offer and respect for the decision.