What to Do if You Lose Your Sales Job?
Don’t let the reality of a tough economy get to you. Sales Guy has tips on how to handle sudden layoffs.
Many companies and executives view their salespeople as expendable. They wrongly believe that it will be easy to replace a top performer they don’t like with someone else. We all know that it’s not quite so simple. However, the reality is that sales is brutal, especially in this tough economy. You can be cut from the team for failing (or for succeeding) at a moment’s notice, so you need to be prepared to land on your feet should your work situation take a downturn.
Your profile on sites like LinkedIn and Sales Gravy are effectively your online resume. There are thousands of recruiters who regularly troll these sites looking for candidates. Your online profile opens the door for a connection. When these recruiters contact you, be sure to talk to them. Even if the position they have available is not right for you or the timing is bad, make the connection and get to know them anyway.
Once you’ve made the connection, stay in touch – especially if they help you move to a new sales job. The relationships you build with recruiters will help you keep your sales career on track and ensure that you always have opportunities available.
Also, stay in touch with all of those people you’ve worked with in the past – old customers, friends, college buddies, etc. The fact is most people get their next sales job using the help or influence of someone they know. When you do need to make a career change, a well-managed network will offer an unbeatable lifeline.