50 Best Companies to Sell for in 2016

For the 16th year, the corporate research team at Selling Power has identified and ranked the best companies to sell for among the top sales forces in the United States. The list encompasses companies of all sizes – with sales forces ranging from fewer than 100 salespeople to companies with sales-force numbers in the thousands.

To gather data, the Selling Power research team issued an extensive and newly expanded questionnaire to executives in sales, training, and human resources. The questions focused on the areas of customer growth and retention; hiring, compensation, sales training, and enablement; and company recognition and reputation.

As expected, our detailed rating system placed the top companies extremely close, with only 12 points overall separating the top 10 companies. Hormel Foods landed in the top spot this year.

Anyone looking for a job in sales should leverage the Selling Power list of the 50 Best Companies to Sell For to find the best place to achieve success.

• #1 Hormel Foods

  Profitable Growth at Hormel: The sales team at Hormel is inspired by the founder's charge to "originate, don't imitate." The company engages employees by helping them develop strong careers in an environment driven by clarity, focus, and alignment. The Chairman's Inner Circle contest (a tropical getaway with top company execs) is a popular source of motivation for Hormel salespeople.

• #2 Northwestern Mutual

  Finding True North at Northwestern Mutual: The award-winning training program for new recruits gets them off to a fast start and helps them maintain a strong performance over time. Careers are developed via professional designations and certifications, with full financial support. Numerous awards, honors, and/or bonuses recognize salespeople ("financial representatives") based on productivity and persistence throughout the year.

• #3 Heartland Payment Systems

  Happy at Heartland: Within the first 12 months of starting a sales job at Heartland, new hires can expect to set a foundation for sustainable success. A comprehensive recruiting process and an innovative and immersive sales training and coaching program work together to make sure Heartland recruits thrive in an environment that celebrates honesty, transparency, and respect.

• #4 ClearSlide

  Clear on Success: Named a Gartner Cool Vendor in 2014, a "Top 40 Sales Tools" provider by Smart Selling Tools, and TechCrunch's "Sexiest Enterprise Startup," ClearSlide is swimming in industry praise. All thanks to its efforts to help sales teams across the world better serve their customers and drive more business for their companies. Check out their All-Stars Club (held twice a year) and Salesperson Spotlight (featured on the ClearSlide blog).

• #5 Hilti

  Building Wins at Hilti: To fulfill its passion for creating enthusiastic customers, Hilti puts a lot of focus on building a strong sales team. From the validated assessment tools that help them assess candidates on such traits as behavior and ambition, to the peer mentorship program that assists recruits on selling skills and product knowledge, Hilti builds a powerfully supportive environment for sales success.

• #6 Iron Mountain

  Climb Every Iron Mountain: The Iron Mountain team is proud of its history and committed to ongoing innovation. The company makes it a point to hire great people, give them the tools they need to succeed, and coach them to winning status. (Plus, check out their free biometric assessments for employees, tuition reimbursement program, adoption assistance, car allowance, and many other employee benefits.)

• #7 Paychex

  Powerful Incentives at Paychex: The more you sell, the more you earn at Paychex. These sales team members enjoy an unlimited and uncapped comp plan that specifically allows salespeople to accelerate to higher payout levels. High performers at Paychex achieve some of the highest percentile earnings in the B2B sales space. Not to mention, Paychex offers cars, trips, and cash as other incentives.

• #8 Microchip Technology

  Making Sales Superstars at Microchip: The culture at Microchip focuses on providing value to clients – not favors or friendship. Selling at Microchip is a team sport and no "lone wolf" mentality is tolerated. Fortunately, Microchip's commission-less compensation model attracts collaborative and ambitious spirits who leverage a true sales process (rather than a features-and-benefits approach) to win.

• #9 Undertone

  An Understanding of Achievement: At the forefront of digital advertising, Undertone's sales force works with top brands, advertisers, and publishers. Salespeople win by making clients successful; Undertone provides sales with positive reinforcement, motivating incentives, and recognition of hard work – not to mention amazing professional development opportunities, training programs, and opportunities to advance up the ranks.

• #10 UniFrist

  First at UniFirst: With honors from Stevie (for Sales Department of the Year and Back-Office Customer Service Team of the Year), Forbes magazine (400 Best Companies in America) and Selling Power magazine (Best Companies to Sell For), UniFirst's sales organization has a glowing record. Their year-round sales contests and President's Club represent some of the best incentives in the industry.