Yonex Case Study: Recruiting Apparel Sales Leader

The Ideal Candidate Needed:

• At least seven years of relevant sales management experience within the sporting goods industry.
• Experience managing independent sales representatives, with an emphasis on improving processes and implementing programs designed to increase brand reach and revenue across retail accounts.
• The ability to accurately forecast and plan national sales activities and revenue, with a focus on brand expansion and customer loyalty.

Leadership Requirements

Yonex sought a candidate who demonstrated:

• A successful record of managing independent sales representatives, supported by measurable results.
• The ability to analyze and improve sales processes.
• A hands-on leadership style centered on teaching, engagement, and innovation.
• A realistic and proactive approach to assessing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Cultural Fit

The ideal candidate would also be:

• Results-focused rather than task-focused.
• Highly disciplined and easy to manage at the executive level while leading sales representatives by example.
• Optimistic and adaptable.
• Comfortable with extensive travel, frequent fieldwork, and regular visits to company headquarters.

Why Yonex Chose KAS Placement

Yonex selected KAS Placement as its preferred apparel sales recruiting partner for five primary reasons:

• Quick turnaround: Clients report a 36% reduction in recruiting cycles.
• Longer employee guarantees: KAS Placement offers a six-month guarantee, nearly twice the industry average.
• Exclusive candidate pools: Clients gain access to candidates who may not be available through traditional recruiting channels.
• Broad recruiting experience: KAS Placement has recruited professionals across more than 100 sectors.
• A dedicated recruiting team: A focused team helps clients receive qualified candidates more quickly.

Our apparel sales recruiters presented seven qualified candidates from leading sporting goods companies. These candidates had experience with brands such as Nike, Lululemon, Adidas, and Converse.

Following three rounds of interviews, the three finalists were asked to prepare business plans outlining how they would approach the position. This exercise demonstrated that the candidate from Nike possessed the entrepreneurial mindset, apparel sales experience, and professional network needed to succeed.

Following the placement, Yonex expanded into major retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and Academy Sports + Outdoors, as well as several regional retail chains.

The company’s revenue increased by approximately 330% compared with its performance before hiring an apparel sales representative. Following the success of this placement, Yonex returned to KAS Placement for recruiting marketing roles several times since.