|
|  |
|
|
Five reasons to sell for a living
by : Erin Flynn
Have you ever doubted that you were in the right profession? Did you ever question whether you truly were cut out to be a salesperson?
Many individuals regard a salesperson as someone skilled at the art of conversation and flattery with a smile from ear to ear and an ample supply of humor. The truth of the matter is that there are salespeople of all kinds. Extroverted folks are not the only ones adept at selling. You can be reserved or serious by nature and excel in sales.
Everyone sells. Politicians sell their abilities to run government offices; church pastors sell plans to renovate their churches for billions of dollars. Most freelance writers, editors and graphic designers sell daily to make a decent living. Even eight-year-old neighbors sell lemonade to passing motorists during the summer.
Here are five reasons to choose a sales career.
1. You genuinely enjoy interacting with many different types of people. If you are prospecting for business every day, you’re going to meet new people every week.
2. You want to partake in continual learning. Your company will educate you on its products and services; in addition, you’ll have to stay abreast of the latest developments in your field by reading industry trades and attending networking events.
3. You are tenacious and don’t let “no” stop you. You will face ups and downs in your career. You may have to make 50 calls to get that first appointment. People may hang up on you or scream in your ear. Those who persevere will be victorious.
4. You are competitive by nature. More than likely, you will be part of a sales team and given quotas to meet. You will face competition from your coworkers as well as other companies with similar product lines.
5. You want to help others improve the way they do business. Your goal should be to help companies increase profits and streamline operations by using your products and services. Nothing is more gratifying than when you positively influence another person or group’s way of doing things.
Most importantly, you must believe in the products and services you are selling. If you are not happy selling a specific product line, it will show. You know the people I’m talking about—they have no passion when they speak; they clearly indicate by their verbal tone and body language they’d like to be anywhere else but selling their firm’s latest brand.
If you’re not happy in your current sales role, get out now. Sounds harsh but it’s solid advice. Your best bet will be to find an employer whose executives you admire and whose products you believe in. And remember, when you land a face-to-face interview for a new sales position, you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.
One of the main reasons people decide to sell for a living boils down to one word: commissions. Good sales reps reap financial benefits by selling a large number of products. If you’re making lots of sales at your company, the compensation should follow. Organizations that strive to retain top salespeople make sure they have a decent commission structure in place. Otherwise, the best reps move elsewhere. You’ll be able to decide early on if your company has a rewarding system in place and if executives compensate their star players accordingly.
Bio: Erin Flynn is founder of Flynn Media, a New York-based communications firm that offers writing, editing and publicity services. She helps companies write material and get it published. Erin can be reached on the web via www.flynnmedia.com.
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
|
|
| |
|
|
|
LETTERS
|
|
There are no letters for this article. To post your own letter, click Post Letter.
|
|
[POST LETTER]
|
|
|
|
