Premier DJ and Music Equipment Industry Brand Increases Total Sales by 8%, Latin American Sales by 27%
For nearly 25 years, Pioneer DJ Corporation has been the premier hardware and software brand for DJs and the music instrument industry around the world. With a focus on understanding and predicting the future needs of DJs, clubs and the dance music community, Pioneer DJ is known for providing products and services that enable, excite, and provide total enjoyment. The company, with subsidiaries in California, London, and Shanghai, has the highest market share (60%+) in the industry.
As VP of Operations of Pioneer DJ Americas Ann Szilagyi shares, “We have built a worldwide trusted brand with a mission of being the leader in creating music entertainment culture by staying ahead of our customer and employee needs. We have a special culture here and each team member brings special talents that influence our vision and results.”
Pioneer DJ’s brand awareness and team culture were key elements when the company sought a senior sales leader in 2016 to drive an aggressive revenue plan in the U.S. and Latin America.
“In order to meet our targeted sales growth, we needed to build out our sales team – starting with finding the right leadership talent,” explains Ann.
Peak steps up to the challenge
The success of Pioneer DJ’s growth initiatives was highly dependent on the acquisition of top sales talent. The decision was made to reach out to a third party recruiter specializing in B2B sales. “We decided to reach out to an external recruiter because this hire was so crucial to meeting objectives that we couldn’t risk hiring the wrong person,” says Ann.
“We decided to partner with Peak because we trusted that their methodology would get us the best fit for our team. We were very impressed with their scientific assessment process and overall approach to sales hiring.”
– Ann Szilagyi, VP of Operations of Pioneer DJ Americas
Pioneer DJ was assigned a dedicated Peak recruiting team with extensive experience recruiting software and hardware salespeople on the U.S. West coast. Peak’s team took the lead in evaluating Pioneer DJ’s organizational needs and gained a deep understanding of the type of sales talent needed to achieve their company-wide objectives. “Peak’s recruiting team really took the time to listen to our requirements and help us develop mandatory hiring criteria,” shares Ann. “The fact that they were so accessible and committed to working with us really assured me that this project was going to be a success.”
Using the competency profile of Pioneer DJ’s ideal sales leader, Peak headhunted gainfully employed sales executives who met each defined mandatory criteria. The detailed list of criteria included a focus on proven sales success, leading all aspects of sales team management, and expertise driving results through partner, distribution, dealer and direct sales channels with experience selling solutions in the music instrument industry.
Peak’s recruitment process ensured every candidate had the right sales DNA for Pioneer DJ’s selling environment and organizational culture. Peak assessed each candidate using its
4-step sales recruiting methodology that includes determining corporate objectives, identifying the profile of an ideal candidate, targeted headhunting to find the top candidates, as well as scientific, psychometric assessment to determine if the sales DNA was a fit.
Time to hire cut in half, impressive sales gains
Peak cut time-to-hire in half, driving candidate flow who had proven experience in Pioneer DJ’s industry with the skills, experience, and DNA needed to be successful in the company’s environment. “Peak gave us a lot of great choices and they were all spot on,” says Ann. “We had a really hard decision to make but we know we got the best guy for the job.”
Pioneer DJ America’s new Senior Vice President of Sales has already made a profitable impact on their business – within his first year, he increased total sales by 8 percent and Latin American sales by 27 percent.
“Through our partnership with Peak, we hired exactly the kind of senior sales leader we needed to disrupt the sales function, and lead us to record sales. We have been very impressed with his influence on the sales team,” shares Ann “He has acted as an amazing mentor for our sales force and even exceeded targets within his first month. He is exactly the kind of leader we needed to disrupt the sales function and lead us to record sales.”
What’s next for Pioneer DJ and Peak? According to Ann, Peak has continued to play a strong role as Pioneer DJ’s strategic talent acquisition partner, providing consultative services on recruiting efforts including compensation, onboarding, and retention. “Peak’s my recruiting partner because of their ability to work with you, understand your organization’s needs and culture, and deliver candidates who are going to be successful in your environment. They bring tremendous value.”
Are you ready to take your talent acquisition to the next level? Learn more about Peak’s services or contact us today to recruit top sales talent.
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Eliot Burdett
Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.
He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.
Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)
- 20 Of Our Favorite Books About Sales Management and Sales Leadership – October 20, 2023
- How To Make Progress On Your Sales Goal Without A Sales Leader – September 15, 2021
- Augment Your Recruiting Strategy During “The Great Resignation” – July 26, 2021
