How To Start A Career In Sales

July 2 2022 - Starting a career in sales can be a great idea. There is money to be made and opportunities to enjoy.

That said, getting started can be an intimidating prospect. Some might mistakenly believe they’re entering an overly competitive, cutthroat environment. Others may doubt if they have what it takes or overpitch their capabilities.

Sales roles require finesse, but it’s nothing that can’t be learned if you’re committed enough. Here’s how to start a career in sales.

Know What Employers Look For

Many people aspiring for a career in sales establish a characterful persona for themselves. They market their traits and experiences as unique and hope to thrive on their individuality.

In reality, sales staff often occupy teams-based roles, and loud personalities are less likely to integrate and form a synergy with others in the workplace. Before taking your first steps in your career, you must not only ask yourself, ‘what does a salesperson do?’, but consider how potential employers answer that question too.

Instead of charting your own course, you will need to choose from one of these sales roles for firms to take you seriously. There are sales representatives, account executives, and sales operation managers, to name a few. Conduct this research to ensure the prospect of hiring you appeals to others and not just yourself. You can also think about your future with these career analyses, too.

Have a Passion for What You’re Selling

Some salespeople might argue that they can sell anything. The claim is seldom true, especially in the early days of one’s career.

It’s much easier to navigate a career you’re passionate about, and the finer points of that notion can be applied to sales. If you’re tasked with selling a product or service that you genuinely like, you can easily talk in-depth about all the reasons it might benefit the customer. Your enthusiasm will be genuine, and the customer won’t think you’re dryly reciting lines from a script.

Don’t just learn about what employers want from you as a salesperson. Learn about the products and services they sell and why they chose that sector. Does it speak to you? Can you build on their ideas? Motivation levels matter enormously to all roles in sales, especially if you’re earning on commission, so ticking these boxes will get your career started with a bang.

Consider Your Transferable Skills

Whether fresh out of university or among the many people orchestrating a career change, you’re never stepping into sales roles with a blank slate. You will always have transferable skills at your disposal.

People skills, leadership qualities, and talents in problem-solving all have regular uses here. If you consider yourself an effective communicator who’s mastered the art of persuasion, many roles in sales may also be your calling. If you love debating and discussing favourite products you’ve consumed with friends, even those smaller moments in your life have relevance to this career path.

Confidence is everything when it comes to sales roles. Therefore, even if your background is somewhat light in terms of concrete work experience, there should always be something you can draw on in terms of your character and qualities that can help you flourish in sales. Be mindful of that at the start of your career and beyond.

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