Get A Better Sales Job
Jeb Blount tells you what you need to know before you start looking for a better sales job.
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Get A Better Sales Job
We received this question from a retail sales pro named Dan. He writes:
A little more than a year ago, I took a job as an inside salesperson for a big-box retailer. What started out as just a job that was available during a down economy quickly became one of my favorite work experiences, and I’m realizing that I really love sales. I’m considering the possibility of moving on to a more professional sales job. But I’m a little concerned about leaving behind the safety and security of my nice, reliable paycheck. The transition would be made easier if I could tell the difference between a good sales job, and a bad one. So, my question is, as a person looking for a first time outside sales position, what do I look for to find a good, rewarding, profitable place to work.
Dan, I’m thrilled to hear that you have found a love for sales. I also believe that you are wise to look before you leap. It is easy to make a mistake and end up with the wrong company, manager, or industry. Getting a better sales job is something that millions of salespeople struggle with each year – no matter how much experience they have.
So here are some tips for finding a better sales job:
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Discover Where You Fit. Start off by reading the book Discover Your Sales Strengths. This book will help you determine “fit”. Fit is important because to be successful you need to find an industry, product, service, and management team that fits your particular talent and skill set. Working at a sales job that doesn’t fit you is miserable (I’ve been there and done that!)
This introspection will also help you determine the type of sales role that is right for you.
On one hand there are hugger or account management roles that mostly entail managing relationships within an existing book of business. As a hugger your primary role is to retain current business and grow your accounts. Certain types of people thrive as huggers. They enjoy developing and maintaining relationships, resolving customer service issues and building their business base. These jobs tend to have higher salaries and a smaller bonus so there is little upside in variable income.
Hunters, unlike huggers, are tasked with brining in new accounts. They make cold calls, ask questions, present solutions, and close deals. They build short term relationships with buyers, but are not required to maintain those relationships once the deal is closed, and they rarely have to resolve customer service issues. There are some people, like me, who thrive in these roles. From a compensation stand point, a hard working salesperson in a hunter role with the right company can make an impressive six figure income. If you have a great deal of confidence in yourself, there are hunter roles that pay 100% commission where the sky is the limit.
Then there are variations where you may be asked to manage long-term relationships and hunt for new business. Beware of these jobs because few people have the talent to be successful in this dual capacity, and these jobs tend to limit your income opportunity. The exception includes some Manufacture Rep jobs that are usually commission only. People who are talented enough to become successful in these positions make a ton of money.
The one thing to remember is that most huggers are miserable in hunter roles and hunters tend feel that hugger positions are tedious and boring.
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Explore: There are thousands of sales jobs out there. Some good; some bad; some ugly. This is a really great time to look around. Most companies have cut expenses to the bone and the only way they can get out of this economic mess is to sell their way out. Because of that, the sales department is the one place where investment in people is still being made.
A great place to explore is on SalesGravy.com. Sales Gravy is the most visited sales job community on the Internet and you will literally find thousands of sales job postings. Go through postings and get a feel of what kinds of jobs are available. Try to look at as many as you can before you formulate your plan of attack.
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Network: Connect with other sales people. You need to do this online and offline. Ask them about their jobs, what they like and what they don’t like. Learn from their experience. The good news is that you might make a few friends along the way who can help you get a better sales job.
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Get Your Resume In Order: Get a professional to help you set up your resume. That is critical and worth the money (usually about $300). Be sure to find someone who understands what sales recruiters and employers are looking for. That will ensure that your experience is placed in the best light. While at it, you may want to consider hiring a career coach who can help you hone your interview skills.
Finally Dan, because you don’t have a ton of outside sales experience you will probably have to start at the bottom and work your way up. That’s okay because in sales, performance is everything. To give yourself a leg up I recommend reading my book Power Principles. Power Principles will help you with some of the core areas required to gain real success in sales. If you work hard and are a consistent performer at the bottom ,you will quickly have the ability to go anywhere.
This is Jeb Blount, the Sales Guy. If you have a sales question please send it to salesguy@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email.
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